Bike and Build

I'm not normally into recommending someone else's blog in posts and you will not see much of that here. I figure that most readers will seek out blogs that interest them and don't really need my help or opinions. Most of the links here are to non-blog information sites except in cases where my research happened to take me to a blog and I used that information. Of course in those cases I like to give credit to the original blogger. Recently I happened across a blog that piqued my interest, however, and thought I would share it with you.

The blog has nothing to do with the subjects on this blog. It is is written by a young lady named Laura from New Hampshire (if I'm not mistaken) who is participating in a Bike and Build ride across the USA. Bike and Build conducts bike treks where the participants spend several weeks on a cross-country bike ride and stop to assist in building Habitat for Humanity homes along the way. Prior to the trip they each raised money through donations and I understand that the money will go to Habitat for Humanity projects they visit on their trek. To me that seems a great way to spend several weeks each year.

Anyway, Laura is obviously excited about her adventure and I will be keeping up with her progress over the next few weeks. I thought it would be nice if some of you could drop by her blog and maybe leave a comment encouraging her and the group and thanking them for the commitment. Laura's blog is at zip,zam,zoom.

There are several other riders also blogging their way across the country and you might want to check them out. You can find a list of them and more information about the program at Bike & Build. Laura's group is on the northern most route, from New England to Vancouver.

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Bright Winged Beauty

I went searching for some bright photo's for this week's PhotoHunt theme of 'bright'. Then I realized that I'm always amazed at the bright colors all around us in nature and this photo came to mind as a perfect example.

If you check out the photo closely you will also see a daddy longlegs (or Harvestman) that seems to be sneaking up on the butterfly. I doubt he has anything sinister in mind as they typically eat only small insects or all kinds of plant material and fungi. The butterfly is a Viceroy which is very similar in appearance to a Monarch butterfly. They often spend time around ponds and lakes where there are willow, poplar, and cottonwood trees where they lay their eggs. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of these trees.

We don't normally see a wide variety of butterflies around the pond. I think this is because the area around the pond is mostly wooded and the shady canopy restricts the growth of flowering plants during the summer. Most of the sunny areas immediately around the pond are generally kept trimmed to provide for easy, safe access to the pond.

We have recently added some flowering plants and will likely be adding more in select places around the pond so in the future we hope to see more butterflies, hummingbirds, and other creatures that depend on flowering plants during the summer. And we will be looking to add some 'host' plants to support the caterpillars of various species. We plan to concentrate on native plants that require little or no maintenance and will add to the natural beauty of the pond.

PhotoHunt- Theme-Bright

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