Thursday, September 30, 2010

Monarch Bachelor(ette) Party

My last monarch caterpillar became a chrysalis two days ago. It hadn't eaten for several days so I was assuming it would die. Instead, it formed a smaller chrysalis. I wonder if it felt conflicted about this time of year, being by far the last one to turn, and a full two weeks after peak migration (though migration seems late or scattered this year).

Anyway, we celebrated what turned out to be its last night with suction feet by doing all the things I know a monarch caterpillar would want to do.

First, it limbered up by doing pilates on a stick:














Then it helped me write letters to congress about the need to preserve wild nature:


In an attempt to lighten the mood, we decided to make some prank phonecalls to editors, previous students, and Mel Gibson:



















We made a delicious pizza of spinach, fetta, italian seasonings, and grape tomato:



Then the light burned out, so that had to get fixed--and it sorta killed the mojo:



















Maybe not an ideal guy's / girl's / hermaphrodite's night out, but what's joie de vivre when you are often nothing more than an incubation chamber for tachnid flies? It's a monarch life out there, folks. "Spread" your "wings" and "nectar" on "asters" before you run out of quote marks and possible double entendres.

8 comments:

debsgarden said...

Sounds like you had a fun night entertaining a caterpillar, or was it the other way around? I would have been thrilled to have the experience. I hope your friend develops into a beautiful butterfly and migrates before the weather is too cold!

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

Ha Ha!

Prank phonecalls to Mel Gibson creased me.

Anyway, now I know this post is silly, everybody knows caterpillars, like the rest of us, don't write letters, they email. In fact come to think about it,caterpillars are unlikely to telephone people, they Skype, right?

Benjamin Vogt said...

DG--I hope I turn into a beautiful butterfly and migrate...er....
Rob--Better iron out that crease. You are probably right--they email, Skype, and even Tweet. Or Twit. I like Twit. You creased me.

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

Maybe they Twonk?

One said...

That's cute. I have several here. Some very furry. Would you like me to mail them over to join your party?

Lynne said...

Very generous of you to throw a party for the "last one out" - I'm sure he/she will spread the word about your generosity and you'll see hoards of monarchs in your garden next season.

Benjamin Vogt said...

One--I have too many as is! :)
Lynne--That's the plan! You got me.

Kris said...

Hey, I got an email from your caterpillar! It was pointing out that had it been it's choice, that light bulb would have been a fluorescent. Cheeky little thing... ;-D