Six-legged Delite

Things catch my eye. Something yellow out of the corner of my eye where no yellow should be. And there he waited. A male Imperial Silk Moth. He must have just morphed. He perched himself upon this stick and sat there all day long. This morning he was gone. My insect guide says that this is a forest dwelling critter. The caterpillars eat oak, maple, linden, birch, elm, cedar, walnut and pine. I think we have all of these in my neighborhood, but this fella was below my maple tree. I also read that they are becoming more rare as artificial lighting becomes more abundant. The moths like to bask in the glow of the lights and become easy prey. He was gorgeous and fleeting.

My first ripe chilies are here. I picked these 5 Hot Portugal peppers yesterday morning. I got an assortment of chili plants at the local greenhouse. They were varieties I hadn't grown before. "Hot" Portugal ended up not being so hot, but it has good flavor. The ends tasted just like a sweet red bell pepper, but once I got to the membrane the heat came gently. I decided to mince these with a clove of garlic and top with some olive oil and a pinch of salt. Oh my gosh, this stuff is amazing on crackers or bread. I recommend you try it, but not mine. Make your own. I'm thinking about adding some olives to it next time. Maybe even a hint of cheese to fancy up a nice focaccia spread. 

Before.

After.