Yesterday we met Uncle Rob at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster (Aunt Angie was not feeling well, but we saw her later in the day).  We’d been hearing about the Butterfly Pavilion since we’d moved here, but we had not yet visited.

What a fun place!

There were all kinds of interesting displays.

Davey and I got to pet a starfish.

But of course the highlight was the butterflies.

We went into this rainforest like area.  (If we get homesick for an Arkansas summer, we know where to go.  It was not too hot, but it was very humid in there!)

There were butterflies everywhere.

There’s a blurry Uncle Rob in the background of this photo.

We couldn’t really do the butterflies justice in our photographs.  It’s hard to photographically capture the experience of these butterflies all around us.

I think Davey was entranced by a turtle here.  Or maybe fish.

There was a great learning center inside.  We walked through a little maze that sent us into a bit of a corn maze flashback.  There were fun activities along the way though.  Davey and I enjoyed tossing beanbags.

And who can resist having their photo taken in a pose which involves a chrysalis.  (Davey could.  He was not interested in this photo opportunity.)

Afterwards we wanted some photos in front of the giant praying mantis guy.  In this picture, Davey has just accidentally pinched David’s leg.  He likes to grab your leg, and in his defense, I think he is more used to grabbing mine which has more squish than David’s.

Here was another try, although I wish I would have gone in for a better close-up.  I was trying to include Mr. Praying Mantis in all his green glory.

This afternoon, I went walking.  About a 1/2 mile from our apartment is a giant prairie dog field.  I’ve blogged about it before, right after we moved here.

So today as I was walking along the prairie dog village, I noticed that the prairie dogs were in a frenzy.  I didn’t think it was me.  They’d always just pretty much ignored me as I went by.

I went a little farther to where I was supposed to wind down the hill.  I glanced up and about 40 yards away from me was a coyote.   He was a good sized coyote.  I think he was Timber’s size so he probably weighed at least 50 pounds.

He looked at me.  I looked at him.  He looked at me.  I looked at him.  At this point, I remembered that I was supposed to appear big and boisterous and loud.  Instead I felt very timid and small.  I took a couple of steps back.  He took a couple of steps forward, but not like he was coming after me.  I think he was just waiting to see what I was going to do.

I wanted to run and hightail it out of there screaming at the top of my lungs.  (I’m remembering now that I blogged previously how I thought this might be my likely reaction to seeing a coyote.)

So I started sidestepping my way away from him.  He looked at me a little more, as he stood amidst the chattering prairie dogs (they were in the highest stage of alert – Defcon 1 for prairie dogs), although in his immediate vicinity, there were none peeking up from their holes.   All of a sudden he took off bounding down the hill.  Now that was a sight to see.  He really looked longbodied then and he just flew down the hill.  I don’t know what made him run, but I was glad to see him moving away from me, while at the same time, it was so pretty to see him bounding down the hill.

I am a little surprised that I’d not seen a coyote in the field there before.  I mean it has to just be a smorgasbord there.  Prairie dog dinner city.   Those little guys are pretty quick though.  It reminds me of the gopher smashing game we used to play at Chuck E Cheese.  They can disappear pretty fast.  Their communication system was pretty amazing to witness as well.

When I got home, I told David and Davey about it.  Davey got very excited and immediately wanted to go back to the prairie dog village to find the coyote.  “Let’s go Mommy!  Let’s go see the prairie dogs!  Let’s go see the coyote!”

Seems like everyone was outside today.  We have a park/playground next to the apartment.  It was crowded over there.  Loud.  People everywhere.  It’s fun to see so many kids outside.

We spent a lot of time outside today too.  Davey and I had to run a couple of errands which ended up at the park near the library.  We had a picnic.

We had a nice view.

I finished binding off my bag while we were sitting there, and Davey helped me model it.

Then he decided he needed a refreshing beverage.

Soon after we decided to head back home to take care of the dogs.  We thought it might be a nice day to take them to the park.  They were pretty happy to go.

Koko does not like to have her picture taken.  It makes her very nervous for me to get the camera out.

Davey said, “Mommy, I need to corral Timber!” (See the carefully placed sticks?)

Timber tolerated this all patiently.

And then it was time to run.

And Jump!

I love teaching.  Lots.

Lately I am also very appreciative for teaching because it’s resulted in my reading lots more poetry, and I love to read it more and more all the time.

I thought I’d occasionally post a poem I like a lot.  It’s always my hope that Davey will like reading this blog someday, and I’d love for him to enjoy poetry in it as well.

I really like ee cummings.  I frequently (maybe too frequently) mention this poem in class because I love the line about the children and how “and down they forgot as up they grew.”

As with all poetry, this poem should be read out loud.  Lots of times. 🙂

“anyone lived in a pretty how town”

by e.e. cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn’t he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then)they

said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

Wednesday feels like Friday to me.  I teach on Monday and Wednesday, and then I am done for the week.  I do have prep and grading to do at home, but I can space that out here and there. So I like my Wednesday/Friday.  Then on Friday, I have my just plain Friday.  Two in one week.  I like it.

My Wednesday/Friday means I can knit a little more again.  I’ve not had as much time as I want!

I am about to finish the purse that I am test knitting for my friend Patti.  It’s been so fun.  I wouldn’t want to knit with this most cheapest of cotton yarn all the time, but I feel like I am making an oh so sturdy bag.

I think it’s going to need some blocking, as the shape is rather variable at the moment.  I am also going to be learning how to sew in a lining.  That scares me almost as much as the zipper I did.  (which didn’t turn out to be so bad!)

Happy Wednesday!