Happy New Year to each and every one! May 2008 bring you smiles and blessings.

The new format of our new website is ready to go. It may be full of bugs and broken links, but here it is!

This White Peacock chrysalis is an unusual color. Why?

Caption Contest! You voted. Read below to see who won first prize; a $20 gift certificate.

It's the next photo contest. See the spider? What is your submission?

And a new contest; write your poem or prose and submit it by February 28.

It's all the governments fault! (Typed with a grin.) Read on to find out what and why!

Featuring YOUR butterfly garden. The best tips and tricks, plant suggestions and gardening ideas ... they come from other gardeners. We wish to feature a butterfly garden each month.

Which topics are covered in the next issue of Butterflies!?

Raising butterflies (and your garden); one MONTH at a time!

The normal color of a White Peacock chrysalis is either green or black. If one pupates in a dark area, without green leaves around, it will be black. If it is surrounded by green or in light, the chrysalis will be green.

So why is the one on the left teal? There's a good reason! It ate something different ... than its normal host plants.

Whew.

Now we're ready for your letters telling us where the problems are in the new site. Please let us know when you find broken links and dead ends, typos and stupid misspellings, and all other dumb stuff.

We spent many 10 and 12 hour days working on the new format over the last 6 weeks ... if anyone had told me that we would work over 60 hours per week (each one of us, Stephen and me) for seven weeks to prepare the new site, I'd have told them to have more faith in our web abilities. Ha. We learned ... this is sssllllooooowwww work.

A search feature and the web directory will be added shortly.

It looks like we have three winners of the last caption contest. It's a tie between S. Fordyce, J. Evans, and B. Mulvaine. Each will receive a $15 gift certificate from Shady Oak Butterfly Farm. First prize is a $20 certificate ... but divided by three it is not enough to receive free merchandise from the farm. So we're stretching it to $15 each!

Now for the next photo contest. The photo above is of two Gulf Fritillary butterflies drinking nectar from a Sunflower Tree. Note the green garden spider below the flower. Please send your caption suggestions to edith@buyabutterfly.com.

Yes, the United States Department of Agriculture governs transportation of butterflies across state lines. Well, human assisted transportation, not when they are transporting themselves.

Read on to find out why the USDA has authority over butterflies! What does the USDA have to do with butterflies? How do butterflies tie into the USDA?

Which species of butterflies can we ship to you? If you're in Florida; any species we raise! If you're out of Florida, please check this webpage to see a complete list.

It's a 'paper' prize; value $40!

All authors who submit poems that are accepted for placement on our website will receive this prize.

We often receive requests for poems to be read at butterfly releases at funerals and memorials. We are not poets ... but we know some of you write beautiful poems and prose.

Please do not submit poems written by anyone other than yourself. Poems submitted which win (and there may be several winners) will be placed on our website for use by anyone who releases butterflies at a funeral or memorial. ALL poems entered into the contest will be (c) copyrighted with the writers names.

Send your submissions by February 28 to edith@buyabutterfly.com.

We wish to feature a butterfly garden in each newsletter. Please send us photos of your gardens and include your state, gardening zone, list of butterflies in your garden (uh, in your garden in season, of course), size of your garden, favorite plants, and other information you would like to share via our newsletter.

The photo above is one of the few times I have posted my photo! (Edith) I have to admit that it makes me look younger than I am, though, leaving out the wrinkles and wear of 52 years working outdoors! With me, starting a garden, is our four oldest grandchildren. This photo was taken last year ... Caden (2 1/2) is now joining us as we work in the dirt. Grandbaby number 6 is on the way and due in July!

If you'd like to sign up, please do so. You can cancel at anytime or skip any species or shipment. Prior notification of all shipments will be sent to you via email in time for you to cancel the shipment or add to the shipment!

We will NOT ship anything without your prior approval two weeks before the shipment date. We wish to know that you wil be at home (not on vacation) and ready to receive your plant and caterpillar at that time.

Florida residents ... are you ready for your first Butterfly of the Month shipment? If you signed up, you'll receive a letter from us in two weeks. Your first butterfly will be shipped to you at a time depending upon your last frost date.

When your caterpillar pupates and emerges as an adult, plant the host plant in your garden and grow your garden one host plant at a time.

Until next time, Edith, Stephen, Ester, Michelle, and the gang