so many caterpillars, so little time!

I succumbed to the caterpillars!  So many black swallowtail caterpillars in 3 different places in the yard!  And I keep finding stinkbugs. A real threat.  So, I set up a pot with some fennel, added two bottles of water and added the rue that some were on, and dill others were on.  I think there are a dozen there. All different sizes.  I contemplated the 2 small monarch caterpillars on the swamp weed, but there's not enough room, and I don't have a solid top on my set up to accomodate their chrysalis. And besides when I went out to check on them, I couldn't find them. 

Here's a video of one of the caterpillars eating fennel.

I love the photo to the right, as he is on one piece of fennel and gets all contorted to chew on a different piece.

Now let me tell you how HOT it is. We are in the middle of another heat wave.  Currently it is 92, tomorrow is to be 95. Friday 90, then Saturday...only 72.  LOL  I can't wait for Saturday since my central air is not working and the window unit I'm using temporarily is not cooling off  my home at all.  So I've not gotten a lot done this week. Including blogging.

Earlier this week I had started on fixing the ground problems in the yard.  Getting rid of the pile of sticks and logs deposted by the flood.  I am using them to fill in a place on the bank that is eroded, then start filling it in with dirt.  Raking the yard, trying to even things out. 

I had to laugh at some of my potted plants...the ones that got washed out...when I retrieved them, I merely plopped them in the pots I found. I thought I'd get back to them and fix them. I didn't but the plants have decided to thrive. All cockeyed, roots sticking out on some :D Some are beyond repairing, so I let them grow as they are.  Potted plants aren't my strong suit anyhow!

Yesterday we were up to 9 ducks. Today, probably because of the heat, they've not visited. 

Yesterday I looked out and saw a smallish groundhog, at first I thought it was Little Dude, but he looked more filled out, and his coat looked a litlte thicker. Looking around, I saw LD in another part of the yard.  Grampa has become very sensitive to noise. Ever since our close encounter. He takes off like a shot over any noise, and heads across the stream. But there he always stops and looks back. What can I say I'm easily entertained. I amuse myself contemplating what a groundhog might be thinking when he looks back like that. 

Anyhow, speaking of scared groundhogs, they wouldn't have these incidents if they'd pay attention. Today I'm out in the yard, setting up the caterpillars when I see movement out of the corner of my eye to the right.  So I look and sure enough, it's Little Dude coming out to eat. But he sees me move my head and takes off for his burrow under my shed.  "Little Dude! It's ok. Come back!"  hahaha  Bet you guessed he didn't!