Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts

Monday, August 10, 2009

Stripe Scavenger Hunt!

The hunt for stripes!

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)


Bumblebee (bombus genus)


Potter Wasp


Monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus)


Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucas)


Cicada (Tibicen linnei)- annual type


We couldn't identify this mushroom.



Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

What happens if you give a bobcat catnip?

The girls are spending their afternoons this week at the local natural history museum attending camp. They are aliens from the planet Rootbeer, their mission is to explore the life of planet Earth. When I first saw their alien masks I couldn't stop laughing!


This is what I do while they are enjoying camp. Lots of quality and peaceful sewing time!

Madison the Bobcat
I had just been reading about catnip in "stalking the healthful herbs," by Euell Gibbons. This is what Ms. Gibbons had to say in regards to cats and catnip, "The most remarkable thing about catnip is the strange fascination this plant has for members of the cat family, not just the domestic cat, but all felines from great lions and tigers down to tiny civets.....trappers are able to lure the wily lynx just by bating thier traps with a few drops of oil of catnip." Incredible!
I know it sends our house cats into crazyland, but does it really do this to the wild variety of cat? I wondered if the naturals history museum's resident bobcat, Madison, would be put in a tizzy if she had some catnip. My baby sis, Robin, works at the museum, loved the idea, and told us to bring in catnip, lavender and grapefruit mint for Madison to play with. The museum was curious to see which herb she would like the most. She was very intrigued by all the herbs and rubbed her cute little face over all three, but catnip was by far her favorite! The Little Ladies were pleased with their gift to Madison!