As I write this, snow is falling, yet again! And school is closed, yet again! Mother Nature is keeping us on our toes, for sure!
Snow, then more snow, then melt, run-off, and muddy puddles everywhere. Vernal pools sprouted up, ponds were topped off, rivers and creeks were flowing fast, and our water table was hopefully replenished.
It’s that time of year, Mama and Papa Goose have established and defended their residency again, on our little Goose Island. Some mornings, the battles are quite raucous, but I think Mama and Papa have emerged victorious. In previous years, they, along with the eagles, seem to start the nesting and egg laying when winter is not quite over! The geese here have the benefit of having a roof over their nest, surrounded by cattails. The eagles have to tough it out in all kinds of weather, when their huge nests fill with snow, or the rain pours on them.
As the weather warmed for a brief period, my grandson, Callen, decided he needed to start a bug terrarium! Of course, it would have to stay at my house, because there wasn’t room at his (his mother, I’m sure, did not want a bug house in her house!)
Although I told him, the ground was still too hard to find many bugs, he did manage to come up with a few worms, after the rains, and a couple of roly-poly critters, a slug, and 2 caterpillars! The first caterpillar, somehow disappeared – how, we cannot figure out! It was in an insect container made for caterpillars and butterflies, literally no way to escape, but he/it was gone!
This second attempt is in a tank, with soil, gathered mosses, and a few teeny ceramic critters he added. I blame all the Youtube videos Callen watches, creating this interest in entomology. Not a bad hobby. He convinced me to get him an ant farm- remember those? We ordered one of the original 1956 designs- Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm, and 2 tubes of Harvester ants. The farm came first – he thought it would be bigger! The ants may not show up for a couple of weeks – due to the cold. That was disappointing enough- but then, come to find out, there is no queen included in the order! In VERY tiny print, the instructions say it is against government rules to include a Queen ant! These are “non-breeding” worker ants! Callen was not happy. The workers will die without a Queen- they have no purpose!!!
Upon further investigation online, you can order queen ants of different types, some with eggs, but the prices for ONE Queen ant are astronomical. That won’t be happening. We shall see how this ant farm does, when the 2 tubes of ants arrive. In the meantime, my little entomologist/ paleontologist/history buff/Lego maniac will be keeping me busy. Never a dull moment!
As the snow lightly falls, all is well here, at Mountain Meadows, as we enter March- the months are flying by……..
