Sunday Letter: August 2024

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Recently, I spoke to a group of Arkansas librarians about the importance of storytelling, and in particular, how I find inspiration. By now you probably know nature and gardening are huge creative influences for me. Being surrounded by the natural world and caring for the plants I’m growing colors my world.

There’s much to anticipate as we steam ahead towards fall.

Fall is like spring in reverse. Heat begins to unspool, the trees enjoy a pleasant morning breeze, and the asters finally bloom.

Although we have forty-three more days to enjoy summer, I can feel the beginning of the end of another year approaching. And while I will somewhat mourn the end of summer, I will whole-heartedly celebrate fall’s arrival. How about you?

Pipevine Magic

A few days ago I noticed an army of caterpillars on my pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa). This is my first real experience with pipevine caterpillars, having only added the host plant to our garden in the spring. Yes, I am thrilled to know a gorgeous pipevine swallowtail found the vine and laid clusters of eggs on its leaves.

So many caterpillars! I worried my plant wasn’t large enough to support all the feeding to come.

On day two of this adventure, I discovered several large leaves had been completely munched, and only five caterpillars remained. They weren’t large enough to wander off to pupate, so either a few went in search of other pipevine food (they only eat plants from the Aristolochia family), a predator enjoyed breakfast (boo!), or more likely, cannibalistic behavior is to blame.

Pipevine caterpillars have an interesting way of making sure there is enough food. During the earliest instar phases of development, the baby pipevine caterpillars feed together as a family. As they grow larger, they thin out their own herd by eating their own.

Pipevine caterpillars are fierce. This particular species is black with red spots on their spiky tubercles.

Yesterday, I only found three still feasting…

Those that survive will become pipevine swallowtails. Noticing one flitting around in our garden is always a treat.

FYI, a group of butterflies is called a roost.

Also, I do have an ongoing relationship with a different variety of pipevine, which you can read about HERE.

An Early Fall?

All summer, I’ve been predicting we will have an early fall. Call me crazy—it won’t be the first or last time, I’m sure—but even on the hottest days, there has been a hint of approaching fall in the air. The dogwoods began showing a bit of color in their topmost leaves before the end of July.

I collected these leaves yesterday during our morning walk.

Mother Nature, if you are listening, please send us a gorgeous loooong fall. And please, no early winter.

Little Free Library Update

Our Little Free Library (LFL) is almost ten years old. When we moved to Fayetteville, I couldn’t wait to install one. Now, all this time later, I still love taking care of it and seeing neighbors share books.

Look at how much she has changed.

Then:

She was just a baby. So clean and fresh, with a handy seed exchange drawer. Also noteworthy, we were just beginning to work on our landscaping.

Now: 

The wooden seed drawer was stolen a few years ago, so our library is no longer a seed exchange depository. We installed a new roof and doorknob, and yes, a fresh coat of paint is on the to-do list. Otherwise, she’s happy among the black-eyed Susans.

In ten years, I’ve observed a few things. And, I have a few suggestions for library visitors…

• The motto of LFL is Take a book, leave a book. BUT it’s perfectly fine to take a book even if you don’t happen to have one with you to share.
• Don’t clean out your over-stuffed bookshelf and cram all your discards in at once. If the library is full, maybe wait a week or so?
• A LFL is not a storehouse for space-hogging college textbooks. “Oh look, Basic Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences! Just what my reader heart needs,” said no one ever.

• And finally, a LFL is not a place for religious pamphlets, real estate advertisements, or last year’s free calendar from St. Jude.

Even though the occasional culling session is required, being a Little Free Library steward is great fun. I discover so many wonderful reads and especially love seeing kids use it.

Things Momma Says:

I’m sick of Olympic swimming.

***

Have you been watching the Olympics? I have thoroughly enjoyed NBC’s broadcast each night—especially the feel-good stories highlighted. And hearing The Star-Spangled Banner always puts a lump in my throat. After tonight’s closing ceremony, I suppose I’ll be back to more reading and binge-watching Netflix.

I hope you’ve had a great summer so far. What else is still on your summer bucket list?

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.