That butterfly weed that’s been sitting in the holding pen next to the front door all summer is still doing its assigned job. Here are two of the half dozen monarch caterpillars that have taken up residence in the last couple of days, stripping the plant bare of all its leaves, and growing fatter by the minute. I’ve moved the plant to a more protected area, so they won’t get brushed off as I walk in and out the front door. I also rescued all the little guys who got left behind on the other plants in the holding pen, and put them back onto this one. The butterfly weed looks nekkid, but it’s supposed to get eaten. I’ve heard stories of these plants being eaten all the way to the ground, but they supposedly bounce back again after the caterpillars change. We’ll see what happens…