Author Archives: makielb

After getting up Camilla and Simon get to playing some games. Oscar got up and sat with Alexis while she had her coffee. Alexis and I went to Da Lat and picked up a delightful Vietnamese lunch. In the afternoon we took a long walk and took Camilla and Oscar to visit some great fairyContinue reading “A full day in Ann Arbor”

One of our dill plants is now home to a black swallowtail caterpillar. We are willing to give up some dill for this wonderful insect. A nearby tomato plant was home to a tobacco hornworm moth caterpillar. However this pest did not pair well. It was first parasitized (all of the while chrysalis structures), thenContinue reading “Insects, chalk and fossils”

We took the bus to Farmers Market this morning. It was time to get some more veggies and fruits. It was fun letting the kids help with picking out what we would get. But I also enjoyed just looking at all of the vegetables that were available. I enjoyed finding someone who sold middle eastern/MediterraneanContinue reading “Ann Arbor Farmers Market and Kerrytown”

We were able to go to Dinosauria at the zoo yesterday where we got to see animatronic models of many of the dinosaurs that we saw at the museum the other day. We started with this dimetrodon. Then we went on to larger dinosaurs that roared with jaws moving heads turning and arms grabbing atContinue reading “Dinosauria”

Today we spent close to seven hours at the Detroit Zoo. We started with the penguins which Oscar and Camilla both liked. In the butterfly house we saw a lot of Central American tropical butterflies. I just included a few of my favorites. Two of the larger butterflies that we saw. The Morpho (the blueContinue reading “It’s all happening at the zoo”

Walking to the museum we spotted this Cardinal, which excited Oscar. Somehow, I always believed that cardinals belonged at church. Camilla, Oscar and their cousin Isaac riding a puma outside of the museum. The kids with a woolly mammoth tusk. Here’s everybody with the whole beast. As expected the T. rex skull was a bigContinue reading “A day with fossils”

We took the kids down to Art Fair again today so that they could see David Zinn do a chalk drawing. We arrived early and the kids enjoyed music with a bubble machine. David Zinn’s sidewalk art is well known. Since they are done with chalk they are ephemeral, gone with the next rain. CamillaContinue reading “Ann Arbor Art Fair, Day-2”

We all went down to not one, but all three of the Ann Arbor Art Fairs today. Unlike the prediction for tomorrow, it was warm and sunny. here was live music scattered all over town. Here’s Alexis, SImon, Camilla, Oscar and Susan charging into the first fair. An interesting elephant and Simon pointing out aContinue reading “Ann Arbor Art Fair 2022”

The day started with wonderful looks at a Green marvel before we started south. We stopped just north of Tahqua Trail where we know there are some Purple fringed orchids and were not disappointed. There were over 60 plants, most in full blood. Among the 60+ plants, many were completely normal, like the one onContinue reading “Plants and insects heading south to Ann Arbor”

It was two years ago (2020) on 20 July that I gave Susan her own copy of Field guide to moths of Northeastern North America, with the Pandemic Doctors approval. Yue sent me this cartoon today and I thought that it was worth sharing. Now, on to the beach. We went down to a friendsContinue reading “A day at the beach”