Thanks, Retro Archie Comics

Santa left a collection of retro Archie Comics for our son last Christmas. Awkward advertisements…

Dewdrops on Chrysanthemums

Dew forms when the surface temperature of an object is cooler than the surrounding air.

Our Favorite Guests

Each year, beginning in early March, hundreds of interesting guests arrive for their annual visit. They’re here to enjoy the various types of plants and flowers growing in our yard. Visitors are encouraged to climb up, crawl over and consume some varieties. Many stay for about a month during summer, aside from the final generation that hibernates through the winter as chrysalides.

Aristolochia littoralis flower (Dutchman’s Pipe)

A. littoralis flower 2

A. littoralis flower and seed pod

Many Battus polydamas caterpillars (Gold Rim Swallowtail)

Three B. polydamas caterpillars eating Aristolochia littoralis

Two large B. polydamas caterpillars resting

Two B. polydamas caterpillars coming up

Two B. polydamas caterpillars going down

Freshly formed B. polydamas chrysalis

B. polydamas emerges after three months

B. polydamas unfurling its wings

B. polydamas landing on Lantana camara

B. polydamas feeding on Lantana

Papilio glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail) feeding on Lantana

P. glaucus feeding on Lantana 2

P. glaucus feeding on Lantana 3

Unidentified Hawk Moth

Who IS That Masked Man?

Hugo: Man of a Thousand Faces was created by Alan Ormsby and released by Kenner toy company in 1975. Perhaps the only toy ever designed with the sole purpose of torturing younger siblings, Hugo did so with the help of several glue-on accessories such as a wig, sideburns, eyebrows, mustache and goatee. His kit contained many other completely awful items like noses, chins, warts, scars, fangs, a bandage (with fake bloodstains), an eye patch, glasses and mask. He lacked legs, but made up for this with a pullstring mechanism to operate his disturbing movable arms. Hugo would later go on to make guest appearances on The Pee-wee Herman Show.