They Finally Hatched !!!

The Praying Mantis egg case finally hatched. Although I've had egg cases in the past, this is the latest I've ever had them hatch. (June 14th). This is also the first time I actually saw the little bugs emerge from the cacoon. They look like little kernals of rice - all hanging onto each other. After about 6 have "crawled" out of the egg they stretch their legs and just walk away. They are all curled up like human babies when they first come out. It takes a few seconds for them to uncurl. It's really fascinating to watch. The babies are only about a quarter of an inch long. Hopefully they will stick around and eat the bad bugs on my plants!

Illinois Balloons

OK - so they didn't fly because of the weather - cold and windy - but 14 of them inflated on the grounds of Elgin Community College. It was fun watching them inflate, and after dark they lit up - to music no less. There was food (hot dogs, chips & pop) face painting, a balloon man, storytelling and bubbles for the kids Coffee for adults and even movies/cartoons on a large screen. Great for a first time event. Hope they do it again next year!