SMiLe, WInK, nOD!
|
FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS OR SO... WE'VE LET MILKWEED PLANTS GROW WILD IN OUR GARDENS. WE HAVE HOPES OF HARVESTING MONARCHS, NATURALLY. TO A POINT, WE'VE SUCCEEDED-NOT SO MUCH BY HAVING A BILLION LARVAES, EGGS AND CHYRSILIS HANGING OFF THEM... ALTHOUGH WE DO FIND A FEW EVERY YEAR... BUT, THE HUNT FOR THEM IS A PLEASANT WAY TO SPEND AN HOUR IN NATURE. WE ENJOY WATCHING MONARCHS STOP BY OUR GARDENS FOR A REST OR A DRINK... AND, WE LOVE MONARCH BUGS JUST AS MUCH! THIS YEAR, WE'VE ONLY HARVESTED ONE MONARCH. BUT, WE'RE NOT GREEDY-- IN FACT, WE ARE THANKFUL TO HAVE FOUND ONE! OUR FAMILY HAS LEARNED TO JUST LOVE THAT MILKWEED PATCH! IMAGINE...SOME PEOPLE SPRAY IT AND DESTROY IT...THINKING IT'S A WEED. IT HAS SO MUCH VALUE. RECENTLY, I READ IN BRAD'S LATEST ISSUE OF HOBBY FARMS A FEW INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MILKWEED... * DURING WORLD WAR 2, BOYS AND GIRLS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES GATHERED MLKWEED FLUFF TO STUFF FLOTATION JACKETS FOR THE WAR EFFORT. WISCONSIN CHILDREN ALONE COLLECTED 283,00 BAGS! * IT TAKES ABOUT 800 PODS TO MAKE ONE POUND OF MILKWEED FLUFF! *MILKWEED FLUFF IS FIVE TIMES MORE BUOYANT THAN CORK AND SIX TIMES LIGHTER AND WARMER THEN WOOL. IT'S HYPO-ALLERGENIC AND IT REMAINS BUOYANT FOR ABOUT 100 HOURS. * NATIVE AMERICANS LINED THEIR WINTER MOCCASINS AND MITTENS WITH MILKWEED FLUFF. *MILKWEED DOWN IS EXCELLENT FIRE-STARTING TINDER. *********************************** I FOUND A VERY FUN FIELDTRIP...IF YOU HAVE A CHILD INTERESTED IN WW2 OR WARS. WE WENT TO AN ARMY SURPLUS STORE, YESTERDAY! IT WAS REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING... EVEN FOR ME-- WHO ISN'T THRILLED WITH MILITARY ACCESSORIES! THE VERY COOL THING WAS THAT SO MUCH OF WHAT WE STUDIED AND READ ABOUT WAS RIGHT IN THE SHOP! AN EXAMPLE... A REALLY CREEPY LOOKING GERMAN MILITARY UNIFORM- ALL IN WHITE. WE FIRST LEARNED OF THE GERMAN SOLDIERS UNIFORMS IN THE READ ALOUD, "SNOW TREASURE." |
| ? Post A Comment! ? Send to a Friend! |
Comments
|
|
|
| ? Permanent Link |
Posted by Alana