Los Flemings

a leach! We got positive identification via a submit your question page at the NC Museum of Science. Yesterday, we took pictures to share with Sam's class and there was a lot of curiosity. It'll be fun to see how they react to the news. Here' s the full response from the naturalist:

Hi Ben. I received your info request. The animal you found is indeed a
leach. There are a few different species in our waters- many feed on
reptiles, amphibians and fish, but some will take a blood meal from
warm-blooded animals. I think the specimen you found is one of those
species. Not too worry.
As you may know, leaches inject both a sedative and an anti-coagulant
into their wound, and they are rather antiseptic as they imbibe. For
this reason they have been used in medicine to clean wounds and to drain
swelling. Go figure. Hope this helps. John Connors in the Naturalist
Center @ NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

Early Friday morning Sam and I collected Grandpa Bunk from the airport for a weekend visit. As you can see, they were both pretty excited. We got some time in at the playground on Friday before grilling in the evening at home.


Saturday afternoon's adventure was a canoe ride on the Eno River (just outside Durham). Sam tried valiantly to catch a fish without success but we did rescue a Luna moth from the river (twice).

After drying out its wings the first time, it managed to fly several yards before landing back in the river. The second rescue was more successful with the moth making back over the river bank before landing in some grass.

We also had an encounter with the creature pictured at left that we are still trying to identify. It appeared to come from the river and moved like an inch worm. It had a suction foot at each end and would stretch out then contract back into a leaf shape. Sam named it 'Eyeball' and declared it 'Ruler of the River Bottom'. Any suggestions on what it might be? (tip: if you click on the picture you can see a larger image)

Back on May 10, Sam and his class went on a field trip to pick strawberries. The best part was that his mom got to go along too.

Last month's warmer weather brought out a healthy crop of catepillars that caught the attention of Sam and his peers. Rounding up catepillars on the playground was a favorite activity. Sam quickly gathered a collection in his bug cage but we were concerned about keeping them fed.

This led to a little research on rearing catepillars that suggested it was only appropriate to collect them when you caught them in the act of eating. That way you know their prefered food. The good news is that each morning Sam would find a new batch on the rose bushes outside our kitchen window. He did a better job than any bird at cleaning off the bugs. In exchange I let him harvest some leaves to keep his herd healthy.

The number quickly outgrew his little bug cage, so we pulled our one gallon fish aquarium out of retirement and into a second career as a catepillar habitat. They went to work on the food he offered and after a few weeks the first cocoons started to appear. To my amazement, Sam then explained to me that they would be moths since moths make cocoons and butterflies make chrysalis.

And this week to our further amazement, the first "baby" moths (as he has dubbed them) started to emerge. It has been great fun because they have come at a pace of about one a day. The morning ritual now involves a quick check of the aquarium to see if another moth has emerged. If so, Sam dutifully takes their home outside to set the moth free. This after the first moth was set free in our kitchen and required rescue by cup. So far there's been 3 moths and we counted at least 6 cocoons.

She has survived the first two semesters with only a few scars and some good grades to show for it. Monday was the last test and Tuesday the last lab of the spring semester. Now she's gearing up for a summer of clinical practice 5 days a week.

But before she dives back in, we got to take a little break and enjoy the spring here in NC. Tuesday afternoon we went for a hike in Umstead State Park which is just north of Cary. The park is lush with spring growth including mountain laurel.


And today we canoed a section of the Deep River south of Pittsboro. It was a lovely day with plenty of sunshine, some great scenery and even one little rapid at the site of an old mill. Here she is recharging her adventure batteries.

With mom hard at work prepping for her penultimate test of the semester, we got out of her way to explore Lake Crabtree County Park just north of Cary.

First we tried fishing from the bank, without much success. Then we went for a little ride in our canoe to check out the boat rental beach which inspired us to paddle back to our car to retrieve my wallet in order to rent a sailboat.




With the deposit paid and the waiver signed we were set loose on the waters of Lake Crabtree in our own Sunfish. Sam was a little uncertain at first and was not real enthusiastic when the wind picked up and the boat heeled a bit onto one side. But with a little reassurance and some time, he warmed up to the experience and by the time our hour was up he didn't want to stop.

And to top it off, Mame did great on her test!