Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~John Muir
Good evening! Rich had to go downtown for something (he told me, but I can’t remember. . . .) and I have some extra time to show you some pictures that I took today of a lovely discovery God showed me.
It happened this afternoon, after a very busy day of watching those big digging machines and making sure little boys didn’t get run over by them. Little boys can disappear quick, you know. Rich came home at lunchtime (thankfully!) to talk with the guys and then he worked from home on his laptop. When I put the kids down for rest time, I went out for a walk. I was not going to take my camera . . . .which is too funny because I only lasted all of about five minutes before I noticed a little bird making warning noises at me. I stopped to talk to him, when my eye caught something else~ a big moth or butterfly, hanging from a branch, with it’s empty cocoon just above it.
I ran back up to the house to get my camera. I am not sure what the name of it is. It’s something I’ve never seen before, and I haven’t been able to research it yet. Looking at it reminded me of the book, Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton Porter. The girl in the book collected butterflies and moths in the Limberlost forest, and she loved it. I can understand a little bit of the obsession now, it is almost like finding treasure when you see something like this!
Just look at this thing of beauty that God created~
It might sound silly, but I was praying for this dainty but exquisite creature as I took the pictures. . . . .that it would have the best life it could possibly have!
Good to be Home 
WOW. That first picture is AMAZING!!! And he’s so huge! I’m pretty sure that’s a moth…we visited the botannical conservatory last week, and they have a butterfly display there right now so I read up a little on the difference between moths and butterflies while the girls chased them around. đ I believe that one is a month because it is kind of furry and because that looks like a cocoon, which moths make, while a butterfly makes a chrysalis. đ Another way to tell the difference, butterflies rest with their wings closed together, while moths rest with them spread apart. Interesting huh?
Beautiful photography, Shanda. . .really, really nice. And that moth is exquisite. . .I love the details on it’s wings. I read the above comment and learned something new (thanks naturalmomma1) about moths making cocoons and butterflies making a chrysalis. . .didn’t know there was a difference!
It is beautiful! Your running back to get my camara made me think … I need to get mine fixed! I’m going to run out of pics from Peru someday, right?
I haven’t read the book you mentioned. Share some of it, please, in your blog? Glad everyone is feeling better!
Beautiful! I’m so glad you ran back to get your camera. It’s huge! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a butterfly or moth or whatever that big before. God’s creation is amazing!
What a beauty! So glad you captured it with the lens.
Beeeeeuutiful….I love Girl of the Limberlost too.
Wow that is very pretty!! I’m glad you ran back to get your camera! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures.
Wow, that thing is so unique looking, I’m not even sure if it’s a moth or not…it’s lovely.
Your moth is AMAZING….He or she is a cecropia silkmoth, this is the information I found at this website…http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=3281Attributes of Hyalophora cecropiaFamily: Wild Silk Moths (Saturniidae)Subfamily: Giant Silkworm Moths (Saturniinae)Identification: Body is red with a white collar and white bands on the abdomen. Wings are dark brown with white hairlike scales giving a frosted appearance; forewings are red at the base. Crescent spots and the area outside the postmedian line are red on all wings.Life history: Females lay rows of 2-6 eggs on both sides of the leaves of small host trees or shrubs. Eggs hatch in 10-14 days. Young caterpillars feed in groups on leaves; older caterpillars are solitary. The cocoon is attached along its full length to a twig; to escape predation by rodents and birds, the cocoon is usually constructed in a dark, protected area.Flight: One flight from March-July in most of the range; two flights in the Midwest, from May-early June and then 2 weeks later.Wing span: 4 5/16 – 5 7/8 inches (11 – 15 cm).Caterpillar hosts: Various trees and shrubs including box elder (Acer negundo), sugar maple (Acer saccharinum), wild cherries and plums (Prunus), apples (Malus), alder and birch (Betulaceae), dogwoods (Cornus), and willows (Salix).Adult food: Adults do not feed.Habitat: Successional habitats in many areas including urban and suburban environments.Range: Nova Scotia and Maine south to Florida; west across southern Canada and the eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains.
That is amazing! How fantastic!! Brilliant markings! Love the color of her/him!!
Thanks for sharing!!
I wonder if they would be interested in purchasing your pictures, your are way better then the ones on their site.
Turned your beautiful find into a homeschool lesson. Did you know you just photographed America’s largest moth? You can read more about it here http://www.wormspit.com/cecropia.htm
absolutely amazing….always makes me wonder about the mind of the Lord and what an imagination He must have…blessings.
Wow, really neat pictures. I can’t believe you were able to get such good shots. Do all of your kids have rest time, even your older ones? I think this is something I need to incorporate too. What do you do with kids that share a room or kids that are not reading on their own? I think the time of rest would be really good nourishment during the day, kind of a renew to be able to start the 2nd half of the day.
Beautiful and Amazing! I’m so happy you were able to get quiet time to yourself and the most beautiful pics to share with us! Since you brought up Girl of the Limberlost, a book I haven’t read for quite sometime, I’m going to have to read it again….. đ
Gorgeous!
Wow — that’s a big, beautiful moth. How nice to be able to find such treasures on your refreshing walks!
Praying and Praising God when you see the wonders he has created just seem to come naturally….so I don’t think you are silly at all. That moth is incredible and so beautiful. So glad you showed us the scale with your hand…he is huge! We were able to have our home Bible study here again by the ocean….we had a potluck on the lower patio overlooking the ocean. David and I prayed for the Lord to send some animals of some kind…and after dinner 3 dolphin swam by. Such a blessing! Night, Jenny
That’s amazing! I am glad you showed it in proportion to your hand. It’s much bigger than I thought. I read that book, too, such a long time ago it was! I am excited becasue our oldest daughter bought us a nice camera. I don’t think I will ever be as gifted as you are, but I am looking forward to learning more and taking pictures of beautiful Denmark. Blessings on your day. May all your little boys keep away from moving machinery!
That is one beautiful moth. I’m glad coolmomofeight did the research on it for us.
What a beautiful big find!
wow that is beautiful! God’s details amaze me…
I can’t get over the size of the moth! It is huge!!!
http://ajoyfulnusiance.blogspot.com/
“I am not sure what the name of it is.”(giggling) Maybe it’s a “mammoth” ROFLOL!!!!!Sorry Michelle, I didn’t do big research like you – I just have a big mouth!
Exquisite! Only a Personal Creator designs like that. Thanks for the sharing that moment. hugs in SC
I don’t know if I have ever seen one that big outside of a zoo. Wow. The way you look at things, the pictures you take, really do inspire. I catch myself looking at things differently when I am outside too. Thanks.
RYC: I let my fingers do the walking and google do the talking hee hee. I just googled Moths and that first website caught my eye. I then scrolled down through their moth pictures and there it was, about 5 minutes worth of work to make your day my friend. ((((HUGS))))
I’m glad you went back for your camera. The moth is incredible! The beauty of God’s creation never ceases to amaze me!
Wow! That is one HUGE moth! My boys were impressed! Great pictures of it!
I too have been reading Romans….have it opened up here in front of the computer to Rom. 4:17-25!
That moth(?) is just beautiful! WOW! As I was reading your digest, I thought of that book. Are you enjoying it?? I couldn’t put it down. I even want to re-read it which is VERY unusual for me! I’m so glad you had your camera!!!
the colors and details in you photos are wonderful!Good idea putting your hand in for scale too
this post REALLY blessed me…reminds me that even the tiniest of things God cares about~ He will provide ALL we need.