Something I slowly learn in life is that only you really know your own story. I jot mine down in my head quite frequently- the delights and adventures and ponderings, but not often do I sit down long enough to write and share them. And when I'm in person, I can't draw up the very stories I wished to tell. So you only get the skimmings and only the presentable, interesting ones at that. Oh well, right now I can't do any better than that.
So it's true. M hatched his machine. From brain child, to wooing a contract, to design drawings, to parts, to building, to livingroom, to kitchen, to deck,...to Richmond! The machine, which we call Alvin, is still under the warming lights, one could say (so the job's not over yet). But we take milestones when we can get them!
Here are a few pics of the night Alvin moved out of the house. Two friends came after their days of work and helped us move it out of the house, down off the deck and up onto a trailer where they built a crate around it. We estimate it weighs around 400+lbs.
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| There's Alvin |
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| It's good that there are no hands on that machinery moving... |
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| A boost of morale |
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| Final touches |
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| Yes, that's the moon. and that's a lamp he's holding. |
And off he went the next day, over the foggy mountain, pulling the trailer with crate strapped on.
As for me, my local excitement is hosting chrysali on my kitchen counter. For some reason I never watched this process as a kid, and I'm acting much like one about it all.
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| Voracious caterpillar (now I believe that book!) |
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| Monarch larvae, in prepupa stage- getting ready for skin to split and chrysalis to come out. |
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| Notice the gold embossed trim. It came out a few days after the chrysalis formed. Gorgeous! |
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| On Sunday I noticed the tone of the shell had turned a darker green and you can see the wings inside. |
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| This morning... |
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| Monday morning this creature emerged from a capsule half its size. |
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| Empty chrysalis, butterfly on deck railing (through the glass) |
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| Ready to meet the world! |
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| It was fun to watch the creature trying out all its new machinery, almost like stretching before a game. |
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| Bon voyage! |
What a wonder.
I can't wait to see what comes out of this guy...
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| It's a "variegated fritillary". Larvae feed on violet leaves. |
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| This caterpillar's chrysalis came out on Sunday. |
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| And instead of gold, they have silver and iridescence on their chrysalis. And look at that body shield! |
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