First Butterfly & Flowers

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Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Mourning Cloaks are consistently the first butterflies to appear in March each year. While they prefer to feed on tree sap, oaks are a favorite, or rotting fruit, they have to make due with sucking nectar from the blossoms of our early blooming plum tree. The Mourning Cloak caterpillars like to feed on a variety of tree leaves including elms and cottonwoods, which we have plenty of. Adults that appear this early in the season have hibernated over the winter.

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There’s a tiny spider on the edge of this crocus.

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Firsts, Cats, Close to Lasts

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First bloom purple crocus.
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First bloom yellow crocus.
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Mama owl sitting on her eggs.
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We should start seeing owlets in a couple of months.
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The not quite full moon had an interesting color just before sunset.
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Marble being silly.
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Spunk being handsome.
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Sasha being beautiful.
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Cottonwood in the bosque basking in the late afternoon sun.
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Maybe the last of the cranes.
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¡Hasta la vista!

Hosers

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While “Hoser” is derogatory word commonly used to call people losers, according to Facebook Medical, and reported by our downtown Neighborhood Bar, if you were a child hoser, you are immune to the Coronavirus.  I don’t know how much faith one can put in Facebook Medical, but if it’s true, I drank from a hose as a kid, and still do when I’m out working on the property.

Hoser originated during the pre-zambonian era in Canada. Hosers, the losing team, had to hose down the ice after the game.

Jailbird Cat

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Tesla the jailbird cat

We went over to Lane’s house on Sunday night for pizza and a movie. We watched “Guardians of the Universe”. It was a fun movie with wonderful characters. Lane built a blazing fire. Tesla gave us his jailbird cat act as we were leaving.

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Fiery place
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Resa’s, Tiffany’s, Robin’s, Teagan’s and Susan’s trees against a wild sky.
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Fiery sky to the west.
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The crow highway is barely visible against the clouds above the Sandias.