Solar Shelter

We went for a hike into the back fields today. We were looking for all sorts of things, and we found them. Escorted by Achmed, much to the delight of his companions, we found all sorts of 'cool stuff.'

Woodpecker trees, bear claw marks, wolf scat. Berries -- despite the lateness of the season, we were lucky enough to find enough ripe raspberries, blueberries and blackberris for Danzi, Jordi and Gina to all have a taste. We munched on wild apples, and checked out where the bear had been breaking branches to reach them. We found lichens, mushrooms, an owl feather, milkweed seeds drifting on the breeze, pitcher plants where we went 'walking on water' into the black spruce bog, and more.

But it was at the solar panels that we found the most activity, by far. The array is covered with monarch butterfly chrysalis'. The girls must have found at least 50, either newly hatched, about to hatch, or very recent, judging from their colours. The butterflies have taken to the array in a big way!

It's shaded, and protected from wind and rain, convenient to an entire field of milkweed. Evidently it got a 'two wings up' from the monarchs. One was sitting beneath the array, on a bit of cement debris, quietly working at unfolding her wings.

While we found most of the chrysalis clustered near the support posts, The girls even found an enterprising caterpillar who had figured out how to climb up the sloping panel.

On the other side of this butterfly-to-be, silent in the sunshine, the solar panels were collecting sun, making electricity and sending it to the grid. That's pretty amazing. We built them to try to help the planet. We're thrilled more than we can say that they seem to be helping the monarch butterflies as well!

The field was alive with butterflies -- a wonderful sight, since last summer it was cooler and not such a great year for them.

Returning to Bondi, we found the doe at the crabapple tree, harvesting the windfalls. Danzi shared an apple with her. Which was a perfect to our Walk on the Wild Side!