There are advantages to hanging your laundry out in the air to dry.  Fresh clothes.  Zero energy cost.  And the stretching and reaching motion opens up your chest and allows all that good air to flush out the unused areas of your lungs.  It’s therapy – yeah.

Not to mention the critters.

So I’m puttering around the backyard, hanging up laundry – and this pretty thing is fluttering along behind me trying to land on me.  She must have been attracted to the white T-Shirt I was wearing, because she was very insistent.

Isn’t she pretty?  When I was finished hanging the clothes up to dry, I went to the computer to try and identify it.  They are known as either “California Sister” or “Arizona Sister” butterflies.  The “sister” part, is because the white markings look like a nuns habit.

I tried to move her from my shirt and put her on the tomato plant, several times.  I was afraid she would get hurt riding on my back while I was tossing clothes around.  She finally fluttered off, no doubt in search of a stationary T-Shirt.

I love the blue markings up near the top.  These are pretty large butterflies.  Here’s a picture of her on my hand, you can get a better idea of the size.

Well, I didn’t want to go a whole year without posting again . . .

Status? Still in the 5th wheel, but very close to finishing the house.

This is taking way longer than I expected but I will be so happy to finally move in, that I will most likely be delirious for months afterwords.

We get thunder and lightning storms every afternoon for the past few weeks. The rain is nice but makes everything humid.  Monsoon season starts around the 4th of July here, and goes through August.
I’ve acquired some tomato plants from Ruby the Postmaster. She started too many and gave the extras away. I came home with 8 little plants. John planted 2 of them upside down in 5 gallon buckets, and I did the rest the old fashioned way. In a plastic bin. So far I am winning – heh.

(Original text by Nanette Thorell 7/18/2009 (re-posted with minor edits)