Gifts

Happy Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Forgiveness Sunday. We celebrate Valentine' Day, although in a somewhat subdued manner -- rather than going out for dinner, for example, we cook a nice meal at home; still, there are flowers:



As for the gifts, Chris and I trend toward the slightly unorthodox; this is my Christmas gift, but it arrived just this week. Apologies for bad images -- thick plastic is difficult to shoot through, and I cannot open the container because the caterpillar food is supposed to be kept sterile:




These are painted ladies caterpillars when they first arrived.

This is them five days later:



Yep, they've grown quite a bit. When they turn into chrysalises, I'll be able to open them up and produce better pictures. Also, expect coverage of butterfly hatching, feeding, and cats going nuts because they are fluttery things in a mesh container. I'm starting to suspect that my husband picks my gifts based on the preferences of a third-grade nerd. I'm sad to admit that he usually finds things that I love.

And finally, an unexpected gift arrived in the mail:



Lichens, of course, are my professional specialty, and many thanks to Jeff for making it appear so very quaint. This is a lichen SF book by the guy who wrote the Village of the Damned. Who knew? (And yes, there were bandages in this package. I don't even.)