Girls Coffeeshop Talk

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

One thing I've discovered is why grandchildren get along so well with their grandparents. We have a common enemy.

Too true!

[Lion]

All I know is I keep asking my son when he's going to make me a grandfather.....as I'm ready!!!

[Lisa]

Caterpillar update - we have a new crop of cats munching on the fennel. I hope these are the offspring of the first group of caterpillars that we watched grow, turn to chrysalises, and emerge into gorgeous black swallowtail butterflies earlier this summer.

Their colors are so beautiful. Apparently birds know this means: tastes icky.



How do like this funny little face? Maybe it tells predators: I see you! You do not know this is actually my rear end!



When I grow up I want to be:

[rfknauss]

Originally Posted by Lisa

Caterpillar update - we have a new crop of cats munching on the fennel. I hope these are the offspring of the first group of caterpillars that we watched grow, turn to chrysalises, and emerge into gorgeous black swallowtail butterflies earlier this summer.

Their colors are so beautiful. Apparently birds know this means: tastes icky.

How do like this funny little face? Maybe it tells predators: I see you! You do not know this is actually my rear end!

When I grow up I want to be:

Awesome pics Lisa!

[Lisa]

Thanks, Richard. The last one isn't mine, though - lifted from photobucket.

Sounds pretty silly to get so excited about caterpillars - but I do!

[Lisa]

I liked this one, too - too bad it's a little blurry...

[CoopJr]

Originally Posted by Lisa

I liked this one, too - too bad it's a little blurry...

Awesome pics!

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Lion

All I know is I keep asking my son when he's going to make me a grandfather.....as I'm ready!!!

I almost hate to tell you, Leo, but we have a second one on the way. My daughter-in-law's due date is on the first one's birthday (January 14). I'm hoping this one will be at least a day earlier or later. I'd hate to have them both have the same birthday - at least while they're growing up.

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Lisa

Caterpillar update - we have a new crop of cats munching on the fennel. I hope these are the offspring of the first group of caterpillars that we watched grow, turn to chrysalises, and emerge into gorgeous black swallowtail butterflies earlier this summer.

Their colors are so beautiful. Apparently birds know this means: tastes icky.



How do like this funny little face? Maybe it tells predators: I see you! You do not know this is actually my rear end!



When I grow up I want to be:

Lovely cats, Lisa. And they do turn into beautiful butterflies. One of Nature's true wonders.

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

I almost hate to tell you, Leo, but we have a second one on the way. My daughter-in-law's due date is on the first one's birthday (January 14). I'm hoping this one will be at least a day earlier or later. I'd hate to have them both have the same birthday - at least while they're growing up.

Ed - June and Violet had the same due date: June 26. June was born on the 14th and Violet on the 21st. We have found that birthdays one week apart are a bit of a hassle! But it's better than them being born on the same date.

[chicfarmer1]

Reviving our little wildlife discussion, here's a pic of my new friend, who I met on my morning walk yesterday. I entered the bike trail and saw him getting ready to leave the forest edge and toddle onto the asphalt, so I waited for him. He was completely content to have me close by.

Boxie's an Eastern Box Turtle. In my state he's a "species of concern," a little bit toward being endangered. Apparently the major threat to the population is trucks running over them...they like the warmth of paved roads and take their sweet time crossing them.

His coloration is amazingly rich, yellows and orange. He's a dude for sure--they have orange eyes.

Fun!

[Lisa]

Hey, little turtle dude... They're such cool creatures. We've got another kind of box turtle living in our backyard - or thereabouts. We see him every now and then. So if the males have orange eyes, what color eyes do the females have?

[chicfarmer1]

Glad you like "Boxie." lol

I guess the lady Boxes have brownish or light orange eyes. (I had to go home and read up on box turtles, of course.) In the process I discovered that there are turtle forums, and even a turtle forum specific to my state. I'm thinking of posting to see if I can get an answer to the mystery of the ages: How did "my" snapping turtle figure out that there is a wetland on the property to get to? Before we put that wetland in--excavated a low and wet part of farmland to build it--there was no snapper traffic. Perhaps the internet has the answer to this, as to everything else.

[Lisa]

Intriguing question... highly developed sense of smell? How far do they travel?

That's neat that you built a wetland - what kind of creatures does it attract?

I may not be remembering correctly, but it seems that about 15 years ago when I worked for the state tourism department, there were grants available for people wanting to preserve wetland areas.

[chicfarmer1]

I'm sure you are remembering correctly, because that's roughly the timeframe when we started ours, with grant money from the state Soil and Water Conservation program.

We've had a couple of universities do long-term studies here to track how a wetland develops. One scientist has done pioneering research to test if wetlands actually do what they are reputed to do, which is to act as a kind of filter for the area air and water. Good news, it seems to actually work.

Our project inspired our neighbor to also build a wetland, so we now have a "wetland district." This attracts even more wildlife. What we get are mostly migratory birds, some on the exotic side, and lots of wetland plant life (it shows up, we don't cultivate it deliberately), and the pest we don't want, muskrats. We have a trapper who manages the muskrats. They are simply destructive.

One fun fact: I didn't know this until we put in the wetland, but a wetland consists of not just the watery area but also the surrounding plant life, which needs to be planned for because it grows up and has to stay there as a barrier.

[Lisa]

Another critter story: Tuesday night my daughter's pet hamster escaped her tank. Seems the lid was left off before we all went to bed. I searched the house all day long but she was nowhere to be found. So last night, my husband set up a surveillance camera/motion detector (part of our home security system) to view her cage. We set her food and water on the floor in front of it.

Sure enough, shortly after midnight I was awakened with the news: from his basement vantage point, Dave got notification of motion detected... he looked at his computer screen and saw a little white critter moving across the floor toward the food bowl. He came upstairs and scooped her up. The escape artist is just fine and this morning three little girls were delighted to see their little pet safe and sound.

Wonders of technology.

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by chicfarmer1

I'm sure you are remembering correctly, because that's roughly the timeframe when we started ours, with grant money from the state Soil and Water Conservation program.

We've had a couple of universities do long-term studies here to track how a wetland develops. One scientist has done pioneering research to test if wetlands actually do what they are reputed to do, which is to act as a kind of filter for the area air and water. Good news, it seems to actually work.

Our project inspired our neighbor to also build a wetland, so we now have a "wetland district." This attracts even more wildlife. What we get are mostly migratory birds, some on the exotic side, and lots of wetland plant life (it shows up, we don't cultivate it deliberately), and the pest we don't want, muskrats. We have a trapper who manages the muskrats. They are simply destructive.

One fun fact: I didn't know this until we put in the wetland, but a wetland consists of not just the watery area but also the surrounding plant life, which needs to be planned for because it grows up and has to stay there as a barrier.

Interesting! Is there actually a pond or swampy area in the lowest area? Do you have any pics of it?

[chicfarmer1]

Oh yes, it's about 4 acres of wet (pond), which varies in depth according to rainfall and time of year. We have a dyke in it that we can raise or lower to control the water, so that it stays confined. It's important that it does. For one thing I have fenced pasture near it that the wetland shouldn't penetrate.

Just a few snaps, including Lucy submerging. :)

My favorite wildlife that comes are the snowy egrets, which I gather are migrating to/from Florida. They nest for a few weeks here.

[chicfarmer1]

How cute is your little hamster! Good job there.

Motion detector camera here would turn up who knows what. A garter snake once wandered into the dining room and nestled under a large china cabinet. He was harmless, but I freaked!

[Lisa]

That is too cool! I envisioned it to be more shady and swamp-like. It reminds me of the farm ponds I used to fish when I was a kid.

Did you stock any fish, or is it too shallow?

[chicfarmer1]

Ours was originally planted farmland, so it was already long cleared. It was made from a low spot that always was wet. Area farmers thought we were crazy to take acreage out of crops for this--some thought the government had exercised eminent domain to take it from us! Seriously!

It's not that shallow. I think the depth is about 6 feet at most during its wettest. (I may be dead wrong about that, might be deeper, but the right person isn't here to double check.) Anyway we haven't stocked anything at all, on purpose, to let the wetland develop entirely naturally. As a project that seemed the most interesting way, to track what happens over time.
We do allow a neighbor to fish it, so I guess there's something.

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by chicfarmer1

Ours was originally planted farmland, so it was already long cleared. It was made from a low spot that always was wet. Area farmers thought we were crazy to take acreage out of crops for this--some thought the government had exercised eminent domain to take it from us! Seriously!

It's not that shallow. I think the depth is about 6 feet at most during its wettest. (I may be dead wrong about that, might be deeper, but the right person isn't here to double check.) Anyway we haven't stocked anything at all, on purpose, to let the wetland develop entirely naturally. As a project that seemed the most interesting way, to track what happens over time.
We do allow a neighbor to fish it, so I guess there's something.

Okay, now that's weird - how can neighbors fish it if it's never been stocked? All I can come up with is either that a huge flood carried fish from one area to your wetland, or that, heck, maybe a falcon ate a pregnant fish and pooped into your pond and their were fish eggs in his poop and the eggs survived and hatched.

[chicfarmer1]

You're exactly right, I think! Here's where the science of it is something I really should pay attention to. Things just show up in a wetland, if the ecology is good. I believe that means some combo of moving things like birds and insects, who bring in seeds and so on.

In nature as in college dorms, where there's a pepperoni pizza there are suddenly 6 famished young men to eat it.

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by chicfarmer1

You're exactly right, I think! Here's where the science of it is something I really should pay attention to. Things just show up in a wetland, if the ecology is good. I believe that means some combo of moving things like birds and insects, who bring in seeds and so on.

In nature as in college dorms, where there's a pepperoni pizza there are suddenly 6 famished young men to eat it.

Perfect analogy.

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by olga

Hi girls,

I m joining the coffee chat :-) i m new here. Cheers

Olga

Hellooooooo, Olga. I have seen some of your posts - and pics of your lovely vintage OP. It's wonderful to have more gals register at TRF. Glad you're here.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by chicfarmer1

Reviving our little wildlife discussion, here's a pic of my new friend, who I met on my morning walk yesterday. I entered the bike trail and saw him getting ready to leave the forest edge and toddle onto the asphalt, so I waited for him. He was completely content to have me close by.

Boxie's an Eastern Box Turtle. In my state he's a "species of concern," a little bit toward being endangered. Apparently the major threat to the population is trucks running over them...they like the warmth of paved roads and take their sweet time crossing them.

His coloration is amazingly rich, yellows and orange. He's a dude for sure--they have orange eyes.

Fun!

He is beautiful-what gorgeous markings!

Thanks for the picture!

[chicfarmer1]

Thanks, G. :)

Hey there, Olga. Glad you toodled into the thread! What's going on in your world?

[Andelain]

Originally Posted by olga

Hi girls,

I m joining the coffee chat :-) i m new here. Cheers

Olga

I'm new, too. Hello ladies!

[Dedot]

Hi I'm new too. Haven't ventured too much this sub forum before. Looking forward to share some rolex experience with other seasoned rolex ladies aficionados here. Cheers.
Mel

[Lisa]

Andelain and Dedot - hey, girls!

Andelain, are you in the military? I recall you were in Afghanistan.