Monarch butterflies and using native instead of non native milkweed.

Monarch butterflies (along with Swallowtail, sulfurs, whites....) vist our yard. We dont have any milkweed plants and just read here https://monarchjointventure.org/resources/faq
That is better not to grow non native milkweeds for the Monarch butterfly. Also had a page with videos and 1 on growing mildweed. Harvest when seeds are brownish (press slightly on crack in pod) but dont collect a pod that is open and had Milkweed bugs on it as they also feed on the seeds and might collect non viable seeds. They used onion bags as they are breathable. The fun part is seperating from the fluff, which can stuff pillows with. Might try spinning with it but heard need the young fibers for that to work. It is very silky shiny.

PEACH tree on the patio

  Thought had wrote about the peach tree months ago, as it was planted about 2 yrs ago in a large pot as was any other outstanding tasty item with a seed I ate. SO wasnt sure it it was an almond or peach. The avocado died during several repeated blistering heat. They were from a small no fiber fruit with a small seed!
This year the peach flowered, it is about 5 feet tall and 17 fruit were ripening. We ate them and were pretty good. Were a yellow fruit and was surprised as usually get white peaches/nectarines as less acidic. 
  So we had this miracle of seed growing , up to age to flower, then low chill hours needed for fruiting.
The last one fell off into a pot next to tree and found partially muched. Then it disappeared, no other trouble with 'varmints on peach. They were quite frequent on the Royal grape vine.

Strange insect

Son found 2 strange bugs today. One is a beetle, about inch long and white with stripes. Think is a False Potato bug.
The other is about 3/4" and can fly , is brownish and seems to have a tongue it moves out.

Bug on screen door
































Am wondering what it does, and lives (and if bites). Woke this morning with itch and bump on leg, so put baking soda on it then later benedryl and Epsom salts but kept itching and see it has a blister. (first tried iodine on it). Figured was from walking out to grape and maybe a flea from coons or squirrels that try to eat grapes. Usually put mint spray on shoes sock legs and pant cuffs but forgot that time.

music with birds and cicadas

Cicadas that release from pupae every so many years. http://www.radiolab.org/story/292987-septendecennial-sing-along/   whales ,
videos of  https://www.bugmusicbook.com/videos
http://www.davidrothenberg.net/
Have been hearing cicadas lately, strangely , not everday.

natural dye resources

 Found so many nice web pages where people share what they learned or developed.  This one is using soy milk to paint or print on fabric. They soak overnight soy beans, bleander and strain and add (think only in tiny amounts of pigments of what will be used in day or 2 as it can go bad and really smell.
http://textileartscenter.com/blog/painting-with-earth-pigments-and-soymilk/     they also added gum tragacanth.    Also listed things learned the hard way, and presoaked fabric in soy milk.

  This has beautiful pics of yarns/fabric dyed with honysuckle berries
https://forestandthespirit.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/black-twinberry-honeysuckle/

Our water ways and streams

  While looking for artists pictures and websites online, found this website group who goes to schools and helps people learn about their streams and what is in them.
https://www.streamofdreams.org/   Which we had in our area. Someone started trying to save the local trout salmon as the many times dry streams/rivers(kinda) are mined for sand. Think it is a big group of people who care and have accomplished quite a bit. Will go look it up.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXfKTJ4vOvA

 

Gopher snake and

While walking back into house at back patio , heard a rattling sound.
Looked over towards sound and saw a long snake hurring away from near corner towards block wall. About 4 feet long (was told it was longer). Was so shiny new. Think is this 

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/p.c.annectens.html
a gopher snake.