Whenever I walk, I often look down in case there’s something interesting on the ground, such as an insect or a document with something fascinating written on it. Today my find was this wasps’ nest. It is rather fragile and crisp and oh so intriguing to study. I am impressed by the amount of work that went into building it. I did a bit of research and learned that wasps make their nests by breaking down wood fibers and plant stems and mixing them with their saliva. Chemicals release during the making of the nest that prevent ants from invading. Each cell is used for raising a baby wasp.

Sitting out on our patio a few minutes ago, we noticed our dog was chasing something. It appears to be a Cuban Tree Frog, and luckily the dog was unable to catch him. This is an invasive species that is believed to have gotten into South Florida through shipping crates from Cuba and Caribbean nations. They eat other frogs, insects and spiders. I sure hope they do not eat tomatoes!

While walking Darwin one day a few weeks ago near the local hospital, I was stopped by a doctor who told me he ordered a brown standard poodle from the same breeder in Toronto where we got Darwin! That is really amazing, since we live in South Florida. It turns out that the doctor’s dog, Mickey, is Darwin’s nephew. Mickey’s mother is Darwin’s sister from an earlier litter of the same parents. The size contrast here is shocking! Little Mickey felt a bit intimidated by his horse-sized uncle.

Darwin photos from the last few days . . .

Darwin has a new neighbor, Joey, part Labrador

Uh-oh. Someone bit through the basketball.

Try to relax!

Our puppy is HUGE. Essentially every person we pass on a walk with the dog stops us and asks us a lot of questions. We’ve caused near accidents, as drivers’ cannot stop looking at him. His front paw pads are 3 inches X 3 inches, rather like a small bear! To put it all into perspective, here are Now and Then photos. WOW! Needless to say, we adore him!

Now at at 9.5 months

Then at age 7 weeks

You’ve got to watch this awesome video on NPR showing the birth of a monarch butterfly!

http://karenswhimsy.com

Check out this cute book I reviewed for LA Parent. It is for little kids who love to help their parents in the kitchen.