He's is right

Yes Todd did identify my butterfly. To be exact it is a female Spicebush Swallowtail. Or at least we think so. This is the top side of the butterfly.

What's in a name

I am currently looking for the species of this butterfly. However, not knowing how to even begin identifying butterflies limits me. I went to a site that you picked from these various categories. I did that. Checked off Virginia as a range. Obviously I didn't type something correct because this butterfly didn't come up in the seventeen possibilities. I will do more research (I believe it is a swallowtail of some form) but I wanted to post this pretty picture anyway.

Taking a ride

Why is it that I tend to be squeamish with every insect but I will let a butterfly sit on various parts of my body and not mind? Here is the one that I carried around while hiking. When it was on the back on my arm, it was tickling me a lot. Why was it tickling me so? The Hackberry Emperor will lap up the salt from your sweat.

They're creepy and they're kooky

Mysterious and spooking,

and altogether ooky...

This praying mantis is in my backyard. I found him while watering my plants. He would have blended in on my dying spiderwort plant if he wouldn't have moved when the water hit him. There was one farther back on the plant also but to get a photograph would have required disturbing them more. This may be the one that was in my house a couple weeks ago that I so ungracefully removed. He started crawling towards my hand and I dropped him: jar and all.

The water strider was in Shenandoah on the Doyles River Loop today. I was quite excited at how well this picture came out.

Happy Hour

It is not often that I have the opportunity to hang out with co-workers after hours...especially for an "adult" beverage. Today allowed that. Three of my co-workers and I went to Legends. They have a large deck and it was a reasonable temperature day today. We arrived close to five p.m. and didn't leave til 9 p.m. It was a fun experience to be out -outside of work. I didn't get to enjoy the view of Richmond skyline but still a enjoyable evening. I suggest trying the Brown Ale.

How happy am I...

that my vacation is near? This happy!

Cool

I purchased a camera recently to take on my vacation. My boyfriend and I went to Oregon last year and I had my point and shoot digital. I took okay pictures but I wanted more. However, I didn't think I wanted an SLR either. I wanted the ability to point and shoot but also wanted the ability to play some too. I decided upon the Canon S3. I know the S5 just came out but I just didn't think the upgrades were enough for me to purchase it. I may regret that in a year or two. Anyway, the point of my post is that I love playing with black and white, always have. Even with the Brownie camera we had growing up. I always purchased the black and white film then and again when I had my Pentax manual camera. (The brownie camera got lost over the years through my parents divorce and moves. I would love to have it now even if it was just to display it on a shelf somewhere.) My new camera has the ability to pick one color and then black and white everything else. A new dimension to my black and whites, I am so excited. Here are some samples of my effort to learn the camera.

Good News/Bad News

Bad News: I had an incredibly bad day at work on Friday. Nothing seemed to strike me right and just another insult to injury it seemed. Todd and I had plans to see a concert at Innsbrook and I really needed a drink. We were late, it was crowded. Everyone in the world seemed to be there to irritate me. (Standing in my view, talking too loudly, taking a cell phone call, smoking, etc.) It was all irritating me. I am not normally an aggressive person but put alcohol on a bad mood and it can be interesting. I kept saying things at people that I wouldn't normally say such as "the people finding the need to talk is irritating me". The guy taking the cell phone call actually hung up. Lots of snide comments made. I knew I was not being a good date but just couldn't control myself. I did resist the urge to take the man's cigarette and put it out. I let my day at work effect my private life and that was irritating me even more. It was just a vicious cycle.

Good News: I was really excited about seeing Nickel Creek. I love their playing and Sarah Watkins has a very interesting voice. I wasn't as excited to see Fiona Apple. I don't dislike her songs, I just never felt inclined to seek them out either. Her voice complimented the fiddle, mandolin, stand up bass and guitar group. Her hit "Criminal" was played with a bluegrass twist. I was very pleasantly surprised at the interest I was taking in her music too. I especially loved her first song but I wouldn't be able to tell you the name if I tried. I enjoyed the music and wish I had been able to focus more on it instead of letting my bad mood get the better of me.

Six more weeks to my vacation!!!