The weather has turned cold! It was even snowing yesterday morning! Our last ride was Tuesday morning. It's so dark in the morning, that we left a bit late, and Wes called at 9:40 to see if we were close to being back (W had a 10 am appt) so Corey hurried home (he's much faster than I) and I took my time and stopped for a few photos, enjoying what might be the last of fall.
I was sorry when I saw the forecast of cold temps because I had 4 chrysalides inside. These are from 4 eggs I found at the end of September, which I knew would be late eclosing. I felt like I had used up all of my family's patience with caterpillars and I needed to start being a homemaker more around here, so I gave those last eggs to my friend Terry. She took good care of them and I thought I was done with monarchs for 2023, but then Terry told me she was leaving for Texas, and wasn't going to be back until December. Thus the 4 eggs, which were now 4 chrysalides, have been returned to me. I got them back last week on Monday (10/16). Of course as chrysalides, they are not hard to care for, but I was watching the weather with some concern for these soon-to-be butterflies. One of the chrysalides was sooo tiny tiny. Terry said that it formed it's j-hook when it was in the 4th instar! It changed to chrysalis on the 15th, so we thought it would be the last to emerge, but it eclosed Wednesday and was the first of the four. I called her little lady. I made a little home for her to sleep in Wed night and fed her some apple and clementine juice yesterday morning.
I've never had one with cloudy areas like that, but this has been my year for chrysalis problems. I was concerned, but nothing you can do but watch. I missed it emerging, but when I did notice it, it was hanging upside down with it's wings stuck. I helped pull off the chrysalis, and said a prayer that I wasn't too late helping it... I was glad that it wasn't freaking out, like one that I had that was stuck last year. It was holding still and it's wings started to expand... was hopeful, but wow they looked super strange...
Definitely something wrong... When the wings dried, the left side top wing was out ok, ends of the bottom wings were crumpled, the right top and bottom were stuck together and crumpled. All the tips were clear without scales. So this poor guy is not going to be able to fly.
So it looks like we have a pet. Lucky for this insect, it came to home where butterflies are prized. So it gets to be a pet for Katharine. 
I didn't know their plans, so I hotglued a stick to a rock, just in case they couldn't watch it and needed an option of just leaving it in the bushes at a park. Little Lady in the back with their kids, you can barely see her form in the mesh square cage, the same one we used last year.
He's a lucky bug, I think? Although maybe no bug wishes to be a pet for a one year old.
I promise Katharine will be gentle with you, little flightless butterfly. Is that a good name? Lucky? I thought it should be named Crystal at first, cause of the clear wings, and couldn't tell if it was male or female cause the wings were messed up. But I knew you could also tell by the abdomen, if it has pincers or a little indent, but it was a little tricky to see at first. I have since zoomed in, and it has pinchers, so it's a male. So instead of Crystal how about Chris/Crys? Christoff? A Disney Frozen name could be appropriate, since it's so cold right now. You can see the snow from yesterday in the pic there behind Katharine. The snow didn't stick to the ground long, but it looked like a blizzard for an hour there. I think we'll go with Lucky. Lucky seems more our style. It's short like Jerry, and has a long e sound in it, like most of our family names. When you're a butterfly, you usually only get a name if you're a non-migrator. So Lucky is stuck here with us, and Little Lady and the two other chrysalides escaped the snow and were sent off to St. George yesterday. Fall break weekends are over for both school districts, so I wasn't sure I'd find someone quickly, but I asked the neighborhood group me before taking to facebook. Luckily one family in our neighborhood was going St. George for a baseball tournament, yay. She came by for one butterfly and two chrysalides yesterday. She sent me these today - as they headed out on the road south.
So it's cold here. I'm mourning that it's too cold to bike. Maybe I could do it in snowboots? My toes get cold riding down when it's in the 40s, so we'd really freeze with it being in the 20s. Owen and Daniel and die hards and rode their bikes to school this morning, I rode with them with Peter in the trailer. Cold cold cold. Took a picture of Natalie on bus duty with Safety Patrol. Not wearing a thick coat but still smiling! I was feeling more like her friend on the curb.
Katharine with her pet this morning. After K's bath last night, Natalie dressed her like it's summertime.
Katharine always kids off her blankets though. She apparently likes being cold. We fed Lucky some clementine juice on an apple this morning.
Fall is almost over but I'm still here talking butterflies. I wonder if Lucky will live as long as migrators? I'll be impressed if he's still here at Christmas. He's a pretty chill little guy. Just hangs out on his stick and wonders if this is all there is to live? It's me, Peter, Katharine and Lucky here during the day. Peter playing Legos - building really cool sets. 
And telling wild stories to Wesley!
I think it's really cook to watch them eat, and their probiscis move around.
Peter always has a lot to say. I'm striving to be more present with him and to listen.
It was mostly a regular day around the house here for me, P&K. Abi and Lily had a GMS Mozart Rehearsal, and Corey picked them up from that and then we went out. Went to one of our decade long favorites, India House on State Street. We ordered our usual: Butter Chicken, Shrimp Coconut Korma, and Peshwari Naan. This time we got both medium spicy, so brave of us. Tomorrow is a community halloween festival and Abi has a concert, should be a busy day kinda, I'm glad that soccer is over though. I better go to bed so I can be present tomorrow. G'night.
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