When I Grow Up

For a long time now, I've really wished I'd majored in biology or botony or something like that. When I was a kid I went to Irvine Natural Science Center in Baltimore, and I was hooked. But not enough to trust my science skills.

Anyway, we've got this guy - Rudy Mancke - on South Carolina ETV (public tv) who does a show called Nature Scene, where he wanders the world in this captivating way, spotting miniscule life forms, snatching butterflies from the air, picking plants at most of us wouldn't touch, and all that stuff. He knows the scientific name of more things than you can imagine, and more about each of God's creatures than any one person should.

So, my big news is that yesterday I got to spend about 4 hours with Rudy on USC's historic Horseshoe - an old-growth shaded haven and lawn with brick buildings that predate the Civil War (the oldest dates to about 1805). Who knew what treasures could be found there! We spent about 35 minutes looking at a Gulf Fritillary butterfly, and I found out that I know more than I thought! First, I had correctly identified the Gulf Fritillary in my own back yard weeks ago (I am not a genius with species identification). Second, I knew its caterpillar. Third, I knew its favorite plant here - Passion Flower vine. I've got some pictures of my own from a couple weeks ago, and I may try to get some posted soon! Rudy is my hero, and when I grow up I want to be like him. :-)