Author Archives: Barb Masinton

Artist, naturalist, nature journaler

Up Close and Conversational .. ‘Glorieta’ Southwestern Orangetip Butterfly

April 2, 2025

New Mexico Orangetip butterflies

The ‘Glorieta’ Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa ssp coriande), are only known to occur in the central and north central counties of New Mexico. This recently recognized form of A. thoosa was described by M. Fisher and Scott in 2008, from specimens collected near Glorieta Pass southeast of Santa Fe1 (which just northeast of our home).

The Orangetips are classified in the Family Pieridae/Subfamily Pierinae ….. commonly called the Whites. In NM there are 16 known species of Whites, including the non-native European Cabbage White.  After a wet winter, plentiful males compete for hilltop display locations while females search surrounding areas for the choicest of native plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) on which to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae (caterpillars) voraciously devour the leaves of their host mustard plants, until they’ve grown to over 1,000 times in size!  Because this family of butterflies is common in desert habitats, to withstand drought conditions some species have the ability to suspend development during their pupal stage (when they are in their chrysalis), a mechanism called pupal diapause. And if winter rains do not cause favorable conditions for their larval hosts (the mustard plants), they can remain in pupal diapause for several years.   

The White’s preference for mustard plants may not be about taste. It’s thought that chemicals contained in these host plants make butterflies in this group unpalatable. Entomologist, “Mike Toliver has witnessed only one attack by a bird on members of this group in more than 60 years of observation.”1

1https://peecnature.org/butterflies-of-new-mexico/whites-pieridae-pierinae/

A Very Close Encounter

Early one morning (a few days ago), Roy discovered a miniature butterfly afloat, upside down, in a water bucket left outside overnight. Looking very drowned, Roy scooped him up with the tip of his index finger and brought him inside the house for my inspection. Excited and sad all at once, I snapped a few photos, having never seen this species before.  Because this little guy had such striking marks and color, finding him in the online New Mexico butterfly field guide was easy.  This beauty was a ‘Glorieta’ Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa ssp coriande)!

Roy was about to turn him over to take a look at the flip side when one of the wings fluttered a bit. Not believing our eyes, I gently prodded him, and sure enough! He seemed alive! But just how much alive we didn’t know.

Rushing this tiny guy outside where his wings might dry, he slowly became more active. Unfortunately the tip of a still damp forewing folded over and stuck like glue making it impossible to synchronize those wings  …. he didn’t seem remotely interested in taking flight. Not to be defeated, he then crawled up to the tip of my pinky finger, looked me in the eyes, raised one of his six legs politely asking for help. Gathering my courage and willing any clumsiness ‘be gone’ from my fingers, I held my breath while using the edge of my longest fingernail to slowly and carefully separate the fold. Taking my time to tease up the delicate tip millimeter by millimeter, this butterfly never moved a muscle (do butterflies have muscles?). After what seemed like hours the wing unfolded, popping back into alignment without any apparent damage! 

“The Talk”

He didn’t fly tho, so I sat with him for about 20 minutes as he perched on my finger. During my ultra close inspection of his eyes (you know I love eyes, and his were sultry grey and gorgeous), punk-rock style hairdo, and brilliant orange tipped wings, he seemed content while I carried on a lengthy one-sided conversation warning him of the world’s dangers. 

Somewhat convinced he believed and would abide by my every word, I walked him over to a large mullein stalk, where he walked off my finger to enjoy a sunbath (hopefully to prepare to take wing). He wasn’t in much of a hurry tho. About an hour later and checking to see if the coast was clear, off he flew.  That beautiful Glorieta Southwestern Orangetip butterfly was free!

All-in-all, it was an exciting encounter! 

What exciting encounters are you experiencing during this change of seasons? 

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Welcome New and Returning Subscribers

Many Hearty Thanks, Sharing Creative Ideas, Answering the ‘Kat’ Kwestion

April 1, 2025

Completing my 15th sketchbook, and beginning the next one is always cause for celebration!  To do so, Kat and I thought it would be especially fitting to shout-from-the-treetops enthusiastically, THANK YOU! Thank you all, my loyal subscribers, for coming along on my interesting, hopefully educational, sometimes crazy, always curious nature journaling adventure. 

Zentangle patterns used: LoveBuzz, Membranart, Frostz, Chatoo, Sea Urchin, Toku, Rosie, Calibree

My recent webinar class, “Create a Colorful Reptile Eye1,” sponsored by Host Karen Abend (of Sketchbook Revival fame), generated many new subscribers to my web page and blog, “A Curious Nature.” Wow! And Thanks so much. A special thanks to those who attended the live and/or recorded class. I loved seeing so many colorful lizard eyes (a sampling below). They were incredible! 

Sharing the Wonder of Nature

With all the past and current activity on my blog, I feel so fortunate and very encouraged to carry on. Even though new postings have been random lately, there’s lots of works-in-progress soon to be shared. Meanwhile, comments including what you like about my posts and what you’d like to see more of, are always appreciated.  What inspired you to subscribe to this blog? If it’s just enjoy, that’s perfect! Or maybe you’d like tips to develop a regular or even a daily creative practice, how can I be more encouraging? I’d love to know if you are an active nature journaler or tangler, or express yourself by creating art in other ways, such as through music, poetry, or storytelling. Send me your ideas by commenting on this or any future posts. I’ve created my webpage and blog because of my insatiable curiosity about the natural world. It’s extraordinarily fun to go beyond learning what the names of flowers, animals, rocks, and clouds are. The excitement of wondering and discovering answers for all the why’s, who’s, when’s, and how’s is so rewarding. Sharing is my joy!

Explaining Kat

Thinking new subscribers may be puzzled by my constantly mentioning Flambé or Kat or both, now might be a good time for explanation and background (and perhaps provide a refresher for those who’ve been following along from day 1 of my blog):

In 2014, a young stray calico cat showed up one day on our doorstep when we (Roy and I) lived in Oriental, North Carolina (U.S.A.). This little wild miss seemed to magically appear from our backyard woods, perhaps in search of a meal or a friend. She sat and meowed for a few minutes, but when we opened the door, she ran away.  Efforts to get close to her when she returned several times during the week were futile. Then one day she vanished and never returned. Not knowing what may have happened to this pretty kitty, Roy thought a nice remembrance of her visit would be to add a small cat sketch to my next drawing. A dandy idea!“But only one drawing,” I thought? It was at that moment that Flambé appeared on my creative doorstep, and has never left!

Flambé, aka Kat, is always smiling, popping in and out of all my art, regardless if the piece is imaginatively & whimsically tangled or a serious nature study. Along with forming the best part of my signature “chop,” she’s the heroine of some pretty wild and crazy tangled misadventures, sometimes pushing Kat’s 9-lives threshold to satisfy her insatiably curious nature (and appetite). Flambé adores being noticed, whether she hides inside the story, or shows up front and center. She makes everything creative more fun.  Flambé may be just “Kat,” but she’s my inspiration for and reminder about the value of komic relief, and makes the perfect konstant kompanion!  

Whew! That’s all for now. Hopefully your questions about this blog, inspiration and Kat have been answered. If you’re craving to learn answers to other related topics, let me know.  Meanwhile, Flambé and I wish you an exciting and creative remainder of the year ….. have times full of happiness, creativity, and memorable adventures, but most of all laughter and fun!

Hope to hear from you soon, and as always, thanks for stopping by!   

Meow!

1Unfortunately, the class or recording are no longer available for viewing. But I may have another live demo class some day in the future.  If so, you can be sure the announcement will show up on my blog.

Happy International Day of Happiness

March 20, 2025

Every year on March 20th, the International Day of Happiness is celebrated by promoting the idea that part of humanity’s progress should include how to increase happiness and wellbeing. Wow! What a great idea. 

Just where did this great idea come from?

The year was 2011.  The members of the UN General Assembly collectively brainstormed ideas on how to recognize happiness as a fundamental human goal. From these exciting talks a resolution was born, calling for a more inclusive and balanced approach to economic growth promoting happiness as an essential part of progress.

The following year (2012) the General Assembly held the very first UN Conference on Happiness. From this event another resolution was adopted declaring International Happiness Day be celebrated annually on March 20th.

Inspired to find ways of enhancing human progress through happiness, in 2013 the world celebrated the first ever International Day of Happiness! 😃

Zentangle patterns used: Ailux, Bzings, Adobe, FloralySs, Bunnyline, N’Zeppel 

What is this thing called Happiness? 

The “pursuit of happiness,” a phrase found in the Declaration of Independence, is an ideal upon which America is based. Merriam-Webster defines happiness as having “a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment. When people are successful, or safe, or lucky, they feel happiness.” But reasons for feeling happy vary from person to person.  Are you happy when delighted or glad?   Do you experience happiness when sipping a cup of good coffee or tea? What about when your dog greets you at the door after a long day, or when your cat purrs in your face …. do these signs of affection make you happy? 

Research has shown people feel happy if they have good quality relationships, are passionate about their job and/or hobbies, and by helping others through volunteer work or random acts of kindness. Other factors influencing happiness might include your overall satisfaction with life, your mood at the moment, and your ability to meet basic needs related to health, work, and finances  (although having extra money does not necessarily make people happier).

Have you ever considered what things in life make you happy? Do these things just seem to happen randomly or do you intentionally seek out ways to experience happiness? Have you taken the pulse of your happiness meter lately? 

When there are large numbers of happy people, it can make communities and even entire countries happier places to live. Some of the happiest countries in the world include Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia also rank in the top 10 for the happiest countries. The United States ranked 19th.

Prismacolor pencil colors used: white, cream, yellowed-orange, goldenrod, crimson lake, dahlia purple, mulberry, violet, violet blue, non-photo blue, true blue, peacock blue, apple green, peacock green. Inking created with Sakura Pigma Micron archival ink pen, size 01.

Looking for ways to observe this year’s International Day of Happiness? 

If the daily grind, never ending politics, or hearing about or even experiencing one natural disaster after another have got you down, I know the feeling. It’s high time to regain control of our inner selves and set free the happiness within. It may not be easy, but what better day to take on this challenge than March 20th, the official International Day of Happiness!

How to start? There’s probably as many ways to promote, create and achieve happiness as there are people in this world. If you already know what to do, great! But if you’re seeking ways to become a happier person and share your happiness with others, here’s some ideas I thought make good sense: 

To become a happier you:  Be kind to yourself, not overly self-critical or perfectionistic. Really savor your life experiences because this will intensify and prolong their enjoyment. Set meaningful goals for yourself that provide structure and purpose, give a sense of identity and increase self-esteem. Seek healthy challenges, stretching your abilities just a bit beyond your comfort zone to realize your potential. Build intrinsic motivation, rather than just relying upon doing things to please others. (‘Intrinsic motivation’ refers to the drive to engage in activities that are inherently interesting or enjoyable without external incentives or rewards.) Practice gratitude. Appreciate and make note of all the ‘ups’ (the good things) in your life rather than focusing only on the ‘downs’ or what you still desire. Be a problem-solver; avoid the temptation to vent, complain and reinforce negativity; instead, cultivate optimism and practice positivity regardless of circumstances. And last but not least, engage in random acts of kindness.

To promote happiness in others:  Take time to build and improve the quality of relationships with supportive people. Respond actively and constructively, celebrating when others share good news. Listen to others with 100% of your attention. Practice mindfulness, compassion and empathy. Maybe you can volunteer or help someone in need. And this is worth repeating ….. Take time to engage in random acts of kindness.

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For far too long, progress in the world has been all about the economy. But more people are realizing that happiness is also an essential part of progress. And come to find out, Flambé agrees! Especially when she can improve her relationships with the birds, bunnies, fish and frogs. Now if I can only teach her to sing instead of all that katter-walling she seems so fond of! Guess I’d better brush up on my constructive criticism? Hahahaha-Lalalalalalala-Hahahahaha!

Whatever you do on this day (and into the future), be sure to spread the happiness!

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

From Seed to Tree: The Irresistible Urge to Grow

A Pinyon Pine/Piñon Seed Update

February 7, 2025

Give a seed the right conditions ……. enough water, sunlight, the perfect temperature ….. and this small package cannot resist emerging from its protective coat to grow into a full grown plant.

Seeds are tiny marvels of nature. 

Looking inside the seed reveals a miniature pine tree!

Think about it ……. a seed is really a living baby plant (the embryo) surrounded by a cozy blanket (the endosperm) that cradles and nourishes the embryo while tucked inside the seed coat. When the coat unzips, freeing the “baby” as it begins to grow, it continues to be nourished by the endosperm until the first true leaves appear. Witnessing the process is so cool!

After collecting piñon seeds from last November’s foraging expedition, (Piñon or Pinyon, Piñon Seed or Pine Nut), we decided to treat a dozen or so to conditions just right to stimulate germination. But first the seeds required a short period of stratification (moisture) to help soften and crack the seed coats. Introducing moisture was done by lining a clear glass jar with damp paper towels and placing the seeds between the towels and glass to watch the action.

Post from November 2024 Seed Foraging Expedition

Soon embryonic roots (the radicles) successfully cracked the seed coats of nine seeds and began growing downward, as roots tend to do. In a week or so, before the embryonic leaves (cotyledons) appeared, all of the germinating embryos were planted. Six of the nine then sprouted their whorled cotyledons, followed by a growth spurt of the first true leaves, initiating the process of food manufacturing (photosynthesis). 

Steps to Germination

All of the germination and seedling development details of these piñon seeds, to date, can be found in my update illustrations. 

Seed germination is a fascinating process, and like the seed itself, is also a marvel of nature. Have you ever tried to germinate a seed? If not, give it a go.  It’s fun, educational, and imagination provoking ….. from such a small seed comes a full-grown flowering plant!

The evidence!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Winter Botany: Horsetail Milkweed

February 1, 2025

Wandering about the neighborhood one warm summer morning in 2018, I noticed a dense stand of plants lining a 20 foot section of road. What caught my eye were the umbrella-like clusters of pearly white flowers topping each slender stem. From a distance these plants resembled our native white-flowering yarrow. But I soon realized the narrow dark green leaves were not fuzzy; the tiny exotic-looking flowers were not daisy shaped. Unmistakably, this plant was a species of milkweed! And the flowers of more than 50 individual plants in this population were a-flutter and a-buzz and a-crawling with hungry insects!

What was this milkweed species?

This is the Winter Botany portion of this post. All that remains of last summer’s Horsetail Milkweed are stems and mostly empty seed pods clinging to short branches. But some of the seed pods still hold silky tailed seeds clinging to their open pods. Hundreds of seed pods line the roadways in our neighborhood.

It didn’t take long to confirm this plant as Horsetail Milkweed (Asclepias subverticillata), a species commonly found along roadsides in pinyon-juniper woodlands. Knowing what to look for on future walks, over the next several years I was excited to find 30+ more populations of various sizes along neighborhood roadways! From 2018 until early summer 2024, I continued to monitor these seemingly abundant populations. The small numbers of seeds I collected in the Fall were planted in our yard, and every year I checked for the presence, variety and numbers of insects busy feeding on nectar as they pollinated the flowers.  

During June 2024, when we moved only a few miles to the northeast, I was happy to see Horsetail Milkweed grew abundantly in our new subdivision. This prompted me to dig deeper into researching this species. Its been exciting to discover how important this milkweed is to native insects, including monarch and queen butterflies.

Photo (mine) taken in July 2022 of a blooming Horsetail Milkweed being enjoyed by a feeding wasp.

According to pollination ecologists, Horsetail Milkweed is especially valuable to large numbers of native bees. This plant species also supports conservation biological control by attracting predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects. 

And Horsetail Milkweed is one of the favorite host plants for monarch and queen butterflies, all because it’s toxic!  Producing an especially nasty tasting and potent neurotoxin strong enough to kill livestock, the caterpillars of these two butterflies have evolved to benefit from such a poisonous substance. Voraciously ingesting a diet of only milkweed leaves, obviously tasty to the larvae, makes them unpalatable to would-be predators, such as birds. The toxin from milkweed leaves has become their primary means of defense; definitely a benefit for such chubby, slow little caterpillars.

Monarch caterpillar (source: open commons)

Although central New Mexico isn’t in any of the major migratory routes of these butterflies, I have observed both species in our previous neighborhood. Since learning more about Horsetail Milkweed and it’s favored roadside habitat close to home, my hope is to provide actively growing plants throughout the summer (a safe distance away from roadside easements) for both the monarch and queen adult butterflies and their caterpillars ……. especially important when governing covenants of our previous and new subdivisions require the roadways be groomed (mowed down like a butch haircut!) on a monthly basis by subdivision landscape crews. 

Because milkweeds are among my favorite of all plant species, mainly due to their complex flowers and the clever trickery they’ve developed to ensure pollination, I wrote about and illustrated two in-depth blog posts on this subject. Believe me when I say,  “It’s overboard fascinating!”

Check out the following posts …..

Surprise! A vine-y, twine-y desert milkweed discovery from July 2024, where I revisit milkweed flower structure and pollination and learn about a new-to-me genus, Funastrum.

Summer Botany: Meet the Milkweeds from July 2022. This is my first comprehensive look at milkweed flower structure, how pollination takes place, and the genus Asclepias.

Read on to learn more botanical information about Horsetail Milkweed AND how to find out if you live in Spring and/or the Fall Migration routes of the monarch butterfly AND where queen butterflies migrate to and from. 

Characteristics and habitat requirements of Horsetail Milkweed

Horsetail Milkweed is a perennial species with a stout, woody rootstock. Plants readily spread by rhizomes (underground stems) producing dense communities. Cold-hardy to at least 0℉, this milkweed bounces right back in the Spring. Plants are also drought-tolerant once established, thriving in well-drained, sandy soil under full to partial sun.

Able to thrive in a variety of habitats and plant communities from 2500 – 8000 feet in elevation, Horsetail Milkweed grows among grasses, on sandy or rocky flats, on slopes, roadsides, and along trails in Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands, Montane Conifer Forests, and in disturbed areas.

All of these characteristics and its adaptability to a wide range of habitats make Horsetail Milkweed one of the easiest milkweed species to grow.

Monarch butterfly (source: open commons)

Monarch Butterfly

To learn if you live within the path of or close to spring and/or fall monarch butterfly migration routes, you can view a map or these route here:

https://www.monarchwatch.org/

Queen butterfly (source: open commons)

Queen Butterfly

The queen is chiefly a tropical species. In the US, it is usually confined to the southern portion of the country. It can be found regularly in peninsular Florida and southern Georgia, as well as in the southern portions of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Occasionally, the subspecies of the queen can be found somewhat north, in Kansas, Colorado and Utah. 

Queen butterflies do not migrate as dramatically as monarch butterflies, but they do move short distances in tropical regions with dry seasons to higher elevations.

Queen caterpillar (source: open commons)

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sketchbook Get-Together … Draw a Colorful Eye with Barb Masinton

Announcement

Workshop Opportunity

Date: January 29, 2025 ….. Time: 10:00 am Mountain Standard Time

January 23, 2025

Yes! You read that right. In less than a week I will be sharing my colored pencil secrets for creating a glowing, jump-off-the-page, reptile eye. During a live 2 hour workshop, hosted by Karen Abend – founder of Sketchbook Revival – you’ll be drawing along with me while learning colored pencil techniques and some cool facts about reptile eyes. But to play along you must register to join the fun.

Just click the following link, Sketchbook Get-Together, Create a Colorful Reptile Eye, to read more about this workshop and to register.

Hope to see you there!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

January 20, 2025

Winter can be challenging for nature journalers. Getting outside when it’s cold and windy, cloudy and dreary, snowy, icy or wet, are not ideal weather under any circumstances.  And when everything looks brown and crispy and pretty much the same, the challenge to nature journal in the great outdoors grows exponentially. While these conditions make it difficult for spontaneous observing, I try to remember there’s always something remarkable to be discovered in nature, even in winter.

 Who knew a little whack on the head would be just the thing to reawaken my curiosity?

Bundled in layers, leash in hand, Luna led me on her early morning walk around suburban Albuquerque. Having been along this route before, we’ve both made some interesting discoveries in the past.  And as usual, this time was no exception for Luna. For me though, everything appeared brown, crispy and familiar. But I was inspired by  and enjoying Luna’s sense of curiosity, and her encouraging tug on the leash. 

Nearing the end of our 2-1/2 mile walk, and mightily concerned I’d go home empty handed, we turned our last corner. It wasn’t 100 feet down the cement block-lined sidewalk that I abruptly stopped in my tracks. Something had lightly whacked me in the head! While the sound of rhythmic clacking rang out, I looked up, and to my surprise spotted the accidental assailant. Draped over the 6 foot wall, suspended from a hearty Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) growing in the hidden yard beyond was a string of pods resembling brown green beans. Long and plump and full of seeds, one of these pods had reached down low enough to make contact with to my head. (I say “reached” because that’s what my imagination said had happened.) Quickly awaking my sleepwalking brain, the effort made by the seed pod to get my attention paid off too. Silently whispering, “Pick me! Pick me!” it was as if the seed pod and its adjacent buddies either wanted to be harvested, or wanted to be featured in my nature journal (or both). 

So I did ………… both!

I loved learning about and sketching these fascinating Trumpet Vine seed pods, while my mind was filled with the muffled notes of a trumpet. Tooo-too-too-toooooom!

Hope you enjoyed reading this story and browsing around my journal pages.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

The Whimsy of Redefining Heartwood

January 10, 2025

After an unseasonably warm, almost spring-like December in the mountains of central New Mexico, January clearly has something else in mind. Winter! Windy days have resulted in bitter cold as they brought us cloud-cover and a few mini-snowstorms. 

The change in weather and absence of wildlife, combined with an abundance of dried vegetation is making it challenging to find nature journaling subjects. So a few days ago, I followed Luna around to see what was capturing her attention. Turns out burrowing rodents expanding their underground tunnels are leaving behind fresh mounds of soil with fascinating odors (to Luna, at least; I couldn’t smell a thing). 

When one of her explorations led me under a good sized pinyon tree, I noticed a very interesting piece of bark lying on the ground. Turning the piece over and over, examining all the beautiful patterns in the wood, the colors, old bug holes, and woodpecker drillings, I was surprised and delighted to see a good-sized hole in the shape of a perfect Heart! Eureka! 

The 7” piece of pinyon bark …. Can you find the Heart?

Many things crossed my mind in that moment …… but the one word that stuck was “Heartwood!!” Could this small piece of bark redefine the meaning of heartwood? Could this tree have been wearing it’s true emotions on its bark in the form of a heart-shaped window?  

After a refresher on basic tree anatomy, and reconfirming that heartwood surrounds the core of the trunk, my imagination went wild.  Could that heart-shaped hole in the bark been the opening of a mysterious pathway through the inner workings of the tree?!!! If I could’ve returned the piece of bark to the exact place from where it fell, could the heartbeat of the tree be heard? 

My finished pages mostly about Redefining Heartwood, but also featuring the view of South Mountain (to the NE) as seen from our new home (including my studio) and the trail where the “Heartwood” bark was found.

While sketching the piece of bark with its perfectly-shaped heart, I wondered if peering at the inner workings of a tree through this window would make a fun children’s picture book? ….. Where the layers of a trunk and how they work would be experienced first hand by a child walking down the pathway?

After you stop laughing from all this nonsense, let me know what you think?

As always, thanks for stopping by (on my magic carpet ride!)

National Cat Herders Day!

December 15, 2024

You don’t have to be a cat lover to celebrate National Cat Herders Day. The only requirement is to know someone or even be that someone who’s attempted to accomplish a complex task by controlling the uncontrollable, organizing the disorganized, or bringing to order a disorderly cast of characters, akin to like trying to herd cats*.  From parents and teachers to project managers and team leaders, this humorous observance pays tribute to those willingly and persistently taking on the challenge of controlling difficult or chaotic situations. Show the love and appreciation for people in your life, and quite possibly yourself, who take on any impossible or frustrating task with patience and humility.

Zentangle patterns used: Choir, Ease, Windflower, KittyKitty, Fragment oA6, Apichu, Budlite, Cat-kin, CD Joy, Cloudy Day, Raindotty

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*The origin of the phrase “like herding cats” likely came from the opening scene of Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). In this scene, shepherds are discussing sheep and the topic strays to cats: “Can you imagine a herd of cats waiting to be sheared?”  

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**A fish manikin is a form carved from wood or foam by taxidermists used to mount a trophy fish. Flambé’s school of striped manikins all looked like trophies to her! If only she could’ve herded her cat kin into an attentive and cohesive group long enough to teach them her sure-fire plan for breaking up that school of fish …….. maybe, just maybe she would’ve had a striped manikin to Mount on the wall of her den!

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***A clowder is a real thing! It’s what “they” call a group of cats. Honest.  But then being naturally curious like my sidekick, Flambé, I wanted to know how many cats are needed to make a clowder. Here’s what I learned: 

“Three or more cats make up a clowder, which makes sense. After all, three is a clowd—er, crowd. Jokes aside, this is mainly because the word “pair” covers pretty much any group of two, and if a cat is by themselves, then they’re just … a cat.”

But that doesn’t explain how these feline groups are ever formed ……. after all, wouldn’t that be a frustrating endeavor and quite nearly impossible …… exactly like Herding Cats?

I’ll let you be the judge, but please let me know!

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As always, thanks for stopping by!