Buggy

 My niece is going to be a ladybug for Halloween. My sister requested this specific hat. I had to make it a little bigger because the hat is for a newborn, but I think I was successful.
Before I sent the hat off in the mail, I decided I wanted a picture. The butternut squash was the perfect model.

I also have three swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. They love them some fennel!

 At first I had them in a jar, but with three of them and how quickly they were eating I doubted there was enough room in there.

So I cleaned up one of the bee packages and it is the perfect way to raise butterflies.  

 Air circulates easily through the cage and I can see everything. I have three more, one I will give to a coworker who has two sons, and the other two I will give to another coworker whose wife runs a day care. Caterpillars can be purchased online and it would be great for the kids to see how this works.

All three went into cocoons within a day or two of each other. But only one has emerged and that was last weekend. When I looked up to see how long it takes for them to turn into butterflies it says it could be a little as two weeks or several months. I hope the other two emerge soon or it will be too cold to release them, and then what?  It is supposed to warm up again this week, so hopefully that will push them along. They sure are amazing.