How it all began…

Immediately stipulate that this is a horrible photograph, but we got home from a 23-hour-long travel day at 3 a.m. and I only shot 4 frames today. Poor light; wrong lens, but it's the best I have. :-\

But as the title says, this is how it all began.
I have posted 345 insects-and-spiders and it began because I squashed this kind of bug one day. I later learned it was a lady bug pupa or larva and lady bugs eat aphids, so they're "beneficials." Wanting to learn what things visit our garden, I registered at http://bugguide.net — as well as https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org — to get expert help and it's been fun learning about all the 6- and 8-legged critters outside … and in.

A rough accounting to date:
» 192 butterflies (sorry!) http://365project.org/tags/tmbutterflies
» 35 moths, http://365project.org/tags/tmmoths
» 28 dragonflies, http://365project.org/tags/tmdragonflies
» 24 bees and wasps, http://365project.org/tags/tmbeesandwasps
» 10 spiders, http://365project.org/tags/tmspiders
» 16 beetles, http://365project.org/tags/tmbeetles
» 9 true bugs, http://365project.org/tags/tmtruebugs
» 9 flies, http://365project.org/tags/tmflies
» 7 damselflies, http://365project.org/tags/tmdamselflies
» 3 katydids, http://365project.org/tags/tmkatydids
» 3 lacewings, http://365project.org/tags/tmlacewings
» 2 ants, http://365project.org/tags/tmants
» 1 thrips, http://365project.org/tags/tmthrips
» 1 fishfly, http://365project.org/tags/tmfishflies
» 1 grasshopper, http://365project.org/tags/tmgrasshoppers

1 year ago (“Spicebush swallowtail”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2016-07-16
2 years ago (“I have this grasshopper-y thingy. Your place or mine?”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2015-07-16
3 years ago (“Vancouver to Victoria, BC” — video): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-07-16
4 years ago (“Widow skimmer [SOOC]”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-07-16
5 years ago (“NOT a Pipevine Swallowtail!”: an ID correction now that I know a little bit more about butterflies…): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-07-16
6 years ago (“Au Revoir”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-07-16

[ IMG_7017S700x525Utm :: f/2.8 :: 1/80" :: ISO-400 :: 60mm ]

[Danette Thompson]

You squashed a lady bug??? 🤔😜

[MaryBeth Dailey]

Poor lady bug you smashed! Glad you know better now. Your data keeping amazings me! It really shows your scientist side!

[Thom Mitchell]

@danette It was a pupa or larva. It wasn't yet the readily-recognized adult form yet!

[Thom Mitchell]

@espyetta It was an immature pupal or larval stage bug that got squashed. Yeah, the scientist switch doesn't get flicked [OFF] with retirement!

[MaryBeth Dailey]

@rhoing and you still do that "on this day year one, two, three, " wow!!! That is a lot of work!

[Thom Mitchell]

@espyetta Not as much work as you may think.
1. Copy one line from a desktop text file — 1 year ago (“”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2016-mm-dd
2. Change “mm-dd” to the current month-and-day.
3. Go to that year-ago page.
4. Copy the 5 lines of previous years' titles & links.
5. Paste into current page and change 1 –> 2, 2 –> 3, etc.
*Very little* typing. Gives me an opportunity to fix errors, update information and see if I've improved at all... :)

[MaryBeth Dailey]

@rhoing it does help that you can just keep copying and pasting the cumulative list.... true. I used to link my 4 extra albums pic of the day in the write up of my main pocnof thr day. It was too much back and forth work. Ugh but it made it easier for me and others to view that day's 5 pics