Saturday, July 26, 2025

Moth Week

Vine Sphinx moth
 

 I almost let the week go by without recognizing Moth Week. Moths don't get the press that butterflies do, probably because they aren't as active during the day and many of them are fairly nondescript. Obviously, that's not the case with the vine sphinx moth the to left. I did find this one during the day, so the colors are easy to see.

Black Witch moth
The black witch moth on the right is a migrant. I took this picture at night, so the markings aren't as clear, but it is also a dark moth. It is a lot larger than it appears in this photo. Think just a little smaller than my hand.

Moths are important pollinators. Moths prefer light-colored, fragrant, and long tubular flowers, especially those that open at night. Some examples are honeysuckle, morning glory, bee balm, milkweed, columbine, asters, clovers, phlox, thistles, yucca, and vetches. Some food plant pollinated by moths as well as bees include redcurrants, strawberries, and stone fruit. 

Moths are a prime food source for bats.

Most people know that the monarch butterfly migrates, but many other butterflies and moths do as well. I mentioned the witch moth above migrates through here, but so do other moths. Not a lot is known about moth migration, but here is a short piece on the subject. Although the study was done on moths in Europe, the information is applicable here.

I hope you'll take some time to learn more about these fascinating insects.

Friday, July 18, 2025

Making Your Own

Kimball Museum (a "like to do")

When I retired a few months back, I thought, "I'm going to have all this time to do more of the things I like to do!" One of my biggest concerns was turning into a couch potato like I see many retirees do.

I hate to admit it. The past few months, I have been a sloth. At first, I was constantly stressing over the thinking I needed to be doing something because I was always busy before retiring. Not to say I didn't have things I could do--it was the absence of things I HAD to do. Then I went through a phase where I didn't feel like doing anything. Even things I liked to do. And then, finally, I got bored. I have finally started getting back to myself. I think I am over whatever was going on in my head. 

Getting back to the true point of this post....I have always made most food from scratch. When the kids were small, it was mainly because (1) it was healthier for them, and (2) it's usually cheaper. And for most of my life, pinching pennies was the norm. But, I admit, working full-time and going to school at the same time sometimes made me really want to use the prepackaged stuff.

I have tried to find premade meals I like. Mostly because I am cooking for one most of the time. I have tried dozens of frozen and packaged things in recent months. For the most part, I haven't liked any of them, although a few are somewhat edible. If you are desperate. And then you look at the label--salt and sugar. Very little nutrition and a lot of calories.

I have been craving minestrone soup for days and finally decided to make it. Yes, I could have gone to the store and bought a can. After all, a can of Campbell's minestrone soup is only $1.79 at United Supermarkets (and even less expensive at some other stores). That $1.79 gets you 2.5, 1/2 cup servings. Does anyone actually eat a 1/2 cup of soup? If I go by the label, there is about 1.25 cups of soup in the can, which is still pretty stingy for a meal.  Looking at the label, that 1/2 cup serving has 28% of the recommended daily amount of sodium. If I eat the whole can (which I would), I am nearly to 75% of my recommended sodium intake for the day. So we can say $1.79 for a meal, which is cheap.

I find most canned soups are edible, but not anything I truly want to eat. They usually have a metallic aftertaste and not much else. I admit I haven't tried the minestrone. But let's consider cost alone. I was lazy, so I did use a couple of ready made ingredients--one Swanson's chicken stock and a can of generic kidney beans. All of the other ingredients were things I had on hand--some tomatoes from the garden, veggies (corn, celery, onions, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, spinach and broccoli--unfortunately, I didn't have any cabbage), some barley, pasta, and spices (oregano, garlic, pepper, basil, rosemary, and parsley--no need to add any salt). So, the only things I paid any significant money for was the broth and the beans (both of which could be done cheaper with a bigger time investment.) And, of course you add water. Together, less than $5. Although a lot of veggies are listed, the amount of each one is small--anywhere from a tablespoon to 1/2 cup each. Since I had the tomatoes already, maybe $2 for all the veggies and that is an overestimate in my opinion.

It did take me about 30 minutes to cook the soup, but I have had six bowls of soup over the past few days. Any my bowls tend to be in the 2 cup range. The soup was thick and hearty. Although I estimate the pot of soup cost me $7, let's use $10. That would be $1/cup. The Campbell's soup was $1.43/cup. It also had less nutrition and more sodium.

Yes, it cost me about 45 min total to chop up veggies and cook the soup versus probably 5 min for Campbell's, but I also didn't have to cook several meals, so I think it probably evens out in the end.

We all need to make choices about our time, budget, and health. I encourage you to learn to cook from scratch and do it as you can. I think you'll find it worthwhile.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Native Plant Society Meeting


The next meeting of the Wichita River Chapter Native Plant Society will be tomorrow, Thursday, July 24, at 6:00 PM, at the Forum on Speedway. The subject is "How to Create a Pollinator-Friendly Garden...Without Completely Renovating Your Yard!" The meeting is open to the public.

Monday, July 14, 2025

Sip 'n Science


 Have you attended a Sip 'n Science event at River Bend Nature Center yet? If not, you might want to attend the one coming up on Friday. This is an over-21 adults only educational program with beer, wine, and food. For those of us who don't drink, water is also available. 

I have attended several of these programs, and they are always interesting.

If you're a member of River Bend (and you should be), the cost is $20. $25 for everyone else.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Like to Be Outside?


Do you like to walk and perhaps learn about nearby places  you haven't been to? If so, the Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist is sponsoring monthly hikes for the public throughout their 10-county area.

So far, the chapter has sponsored hikes in Wichita, Archer, Clay, Foard, and Wilbarger counties. Next month will be Hardeman County at Copper Breaks State Park on August 2. Copper Breaks is a pretty park that tends to be overlooked because of its location near Quanah.

The hike is free, although participants will need to pay the park entrance fee (13 and up $3; children under 13, free). The hike is scheduled for 4 hours, beginning at 8 AM. Generally, the hikes aren't difficult and the pace is slow, allowing everyone the opportunity to look at and learn more about the flora and fauna seen. Several Texas Master Naturalist members will be available to answer questions about what participants see. Depending upon the temperature, it is possible participants may see some Texas horned lizards during the hike.

Since it will be the height of the summer, hats, sunscreen, bug spray, and water are highly recommended.

The town is named after Quanah Parker, the last Comanche Chief, and those interested in history will find a couple of small local museums of interest after the hike.

Sign up through Eventbrite. There is no cost, but it helps to know how many plan to attend. Here's the ticketing link.

If you are interested in the upcoming hikes, more information is on the group Facebook Page as well as on Eventbrite.