h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yep, old socks. All over the garden, from every tree. Never mind the neighbours, you've gotta do what you've gotta do. And quick - that hawkmoth only flies May to July.

I'd like to see my first!

(Don't tell Christiane, but I saw it said their caterpillars like fuschias...)

There's a better thread for this somewhere but I'm being too lazy to find it, so mostly for Willem http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7506997.stm

Now a boabab farm, wouldn't that be something!

Thanks for the tip.

Trouble is I might bump in to the badgers if I go prowling about in the dark or the foxes!! Our garden takes on a slightly like feeling at night, with and all!!

Websailor

Baobob trees - fascinating things!

I saw that this morning but was disappointed that we won't be able to buy the fruit whole here as the nut is too hard to crack! Haven't they heard of sledge hammers

i thought it was very interesting, but I thought the trees were quite sparsely spread, and dI am wondering how they will keep up with demand.

Websailor

Well, you could drape the socks on lines by the window...

Have you seen pictures of Madagascar's baobabs? If not try a google for them, they're unbelievable. They have quite a lot there - I've a photo here with 44 in it. Maybe about 15% of the forest they're in.

Hopefully this might help preserve them.

They're on my to go see list.

No baobabs here. Or badgers.

Waz, there is some wonderful stuff on baobobs on the Net. I found some brilliant stuff, al very interesting. That what I love yout Hoo Too it sends you off at a tangent, always something interesting. thank you.

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Hypatia, no Baobobs, but you have badgers there, but perhaps not in your area?

Websailor

Websailor, I can truthfully say I have never seen a badger in my my neighborhood. They could very likely live elsewhere.

Hi Hypatia,

I thought that moths also ate books? In fact I am wondering what on earth I am doing on this thread. it was Waz's description of the blue butterflies in wales that set me off. !1 I think I must go and find out what it was allabout. !

We have had such beautiful weather here these last few days. We could see the coast of France very clearly which was grand.
Are you still going on your tremendous travelling spree later this year. I hope that you will have time to write about it. Have you got a laptop?

Keep well,

Christiane
Also Ran80

Hi Christiane,

Moths do indeed damage books. Can't have them in a library.

And the autumn road trip is still on. I don't have a laptop, but the library has 15 of them, so I could always borrow one. The good news is that I know how to get my photos onto the Internet, now. I need a Fokti site and I'll be all set.

Hyp

That sounds interesting Hypatia. Be sure to let us know when you are up and running please

Websailor

well done. Noe you will be able to film your holiday in europe from beginning to end. !!

AR80

Thanks for that link Waz!

Baobabs are fairly common in a few places here in the North of South Africa. They are also not difficult to know (once you know the secret) and I have grown lots of them from seeds. I would love if people started planting them in large numbers! They can be planted on regular game farms or cattle farms. They don't fruit very abundantly or reliably though ...

The fruit can actually be cracked open with a regular hammer.

Hawkmoths we have here, quite a lot of species! I'll try and photograph some when possible ...

I mean they're not difficult to GROW, not know!

We GROW what you mean Willem Glad I am not the only one to do things like that. I realised today that I had spelled Baobab wrong in my posts I shall remember in future.

They are fascinating trees. I keep flying off at a tangent with all the interesting things posted here, and I am not getting things done that I should be doing!!

Will reply to your email when I catch up. Must go feed my wildlife

Websailor

I have holly bushes and am regularly visited by Holly Blues but they aren't as well behaved as yours, Waz, and I've never managed to photograph them yet I also have a tiny bue butterfly which likes my neighbours' hebes (mostly on my side of the drive)

My garden is alive with butterflies (and bees!) at the moment, I keep nipping out with my camera:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/galaxybabe/Butterflies

My "elusive" butterfly is a Red Admiral which flies off the moment I get too close.

Those are very pretty butterflies Galaxy Babe!

Thanks Willem
Did you see the ones I took at the Amazing Butterfly Exhibition in April?
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/galaxybabe/SpringMeet2008
I wrote about it for The Post as well: A36210421

Those butterflies are beautiful too AGB! You know some of those butterflies look like they might be some of ours. Here in Pietersburg/Polokwane we also have a sort of a butterfly house ... I'll see if I can get there and try to take some pictures!

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