We have returned from our whirlwind vacation in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Though we were relaxing the whole time, we were also constantly on the go. We realized as we were leaving that we never once turned on the TV, and that since our cell phone reception and internet were spotty, we hardly spent any time online either. (AT&T, btw, does not have any blue dots in South Dakota). Alden and Kato instantly fell asleep when we got back to our room at night. It was lovely.
We will go through the whole vacation in lurid detail in the coming weeks, I’m sure, but for the time being, I’m going to appeal to you all for help. While we were having dinner one evening, Alden discovered some moths in the throes of moth love. I’m sure the moths will be scandalized, but I’m going to post a picture anyway.
(I also have a sex tape, but I’m saving it to blackmail them with later on.)
For all you lepidopterists out there, I am giving away a Frog and Butterfly print to whoever is the first commenter to identify these guys (or rather, this guy and gal). If no one comments, I will also know where to focus our future efforts at demographic expansion.
Alden insisted they were butterflies, but someone older and wiser kindly suggested that they were, in fact, moths. That didn’t sit well. So, whoever identifies these, be prepared to be shot down by Alden. She pretty much shoots everything down these days. “No” is the new black.
That being said, she really liked hiking. For some reason, whenever anyone said, “We’re hiking,” Alden would enthusiastically repeat “we’re HIKE-ing” and give the double thumbs up.
Sure – it’s easy to be enthusiastic about hiking if someone is carrying you on his back the whole time.
But all that enthusiasm has turned to exhaustion upon our return. Alden has had a pretty high fever since we got home and has spent all day in bed watching movies. Actually, just one movie. Again and again and again.
Luckily it’s a good one.
So, for those of you who don’t really like to get bogged down with the details:
1. South Dakota = Awesome.
2. Do you know anything about moths?
3. Alden is two years old.
4. Being carried around like a princess with two broken legs all day can make you sick.
Boy are you lucky I’m stuck in Newark airport waiting for an early morning flight and this was the latest straw I’m grasping at to try to stay awake for another 2 hours. I’m not sure if it’s the brain fog of its being 3:30 am, but does this look like your moth? http://tinyurl.com/233nq9z (now I just hope I can answer the tricky math problem correctly so this will post …)
I think they are Columbia silkmoths:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=3282&chosen_state=46*South%20Dakota
What do you think?
Oh dang, lepiwhat? beat me to it.
So weird, but we saw one of these at a Costco in Chantilly, VA. The employees said it hadn’t left its spot in over 6 hours! We too were wondering what it was!
I think it looks like Mark & Molly Moth. Yup, that’s my idenification. I wish I did know, because that print is wonderful, and I know my daughter would love it. I hope Alden feels better, and have no fear in just a few short years she will most likely be the butterfly/moth expert – apparently this is hot learning in preschool now. According to my little girt, the easy way to distinguish them is that butterflies rest with their wings up, and moths rest with them spread flat.