Butterflies are one of the most beautiful and delicate creatures on earth. Their striking colors of orange, blue, yellow, and black with equally interesting markings make them special creatures to watch.

Butterflies range in size from an 1/8th of an inch to almost 12 inches in wingspan. They can fly 12 miles per hour and moths, that sometimes resemble butterflies, can fly up to 25 miles per hour. Some butterflies, such as the Monarch, migrate each year up to 2000 miles.

All butterflies have complete metamorphosis growing into an adult through four development stages: egg, larva, pupa and butterfly. Each stage has a different goal - for instance, caterpillars need to eat a lot as many gardeners know and adults need to reproduce.

Depending on the species, the life cycle of a butterfly may take one month to an entire year. Butterflies pollinate flowers and crops and are an essential contributor to our ecosystems. Most butterflies prefer flowers that are pink, red, purple or yellow and that are open all day.

Each area of the U.S. has only a few species of butterfly that are native. The most colorful and largest butterflies are not native to the U.S., but reside in rainforests. However, you can see these wonderful creatures of nature at a Butterfly Center such as the Cockrell Butterfly Center in Houston, Texas. The Cockrell Butterfly Center is located at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It is a living exhibit that showcases hundreds of live butterflies in a naturalistic setting.  During a typical visit, you can see 50 to 60 different species of the world’s largest and most colorful butterfly species.

Centers typically buy their butterflies from farms in tropical Asia and North, Central, and South America. They are shipped to the Center in their chrysalis or pupa form.  You should seek out a butterfly center in your town or on your vacation for a splendid day of nature viewing. Plan ahead in terms of dress as butterfly centers are usually in rainforest like conditions - so it will be warm and humid.

If you want, you can photograph the butterflies in their indoor habitat - example photos on the butterfly center's website. To improve your chances of getting really great souvenir pictures, you should checkout the chrysalis centers where the butterflies are just emerging and will be less active and therefore easier to photograph. The Ehow website offers suggestions on how to photograph butterflies.

Posted by Barbara.

No one can stop the magical due of Siegfried and Roy from doing what they love, not even a near fatal tiger attack that nearly killed Roy Horn in 2003.  You probably remember the horror stories that audience members reported in October of that year as they watched Horn being attacked and dragged off the stage by his white tiger, Montecore.

Shocked and horrified audience members watched helplessly as Montecore suddenly lunged at Horn in the middle of a performance, sank its giant teeth into his neck, and dragged the magician off the stage, nearly killing him.  This was the last time the world famous duo performed their magic and animal act as the Mirage Hotel and Casino indefinitely suspended the long-running show while Horn recovered.  However, from the very beginning Horn defended the actions of the tiger, believing that the animal had actually sensed that he was having a stroke and was trying to protect the musician by dragging him to the safety of backstage.

 
Siegfried and Roy recently announced that they will return for a one-night only event next year that will raise money for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute’s “Keep Memory Alive” fundraiser charity dinner.  While the magicians have not announced what the show will entail, they have stated that animals will most likely be involved in their comeback performance because that is what Siegfried and Roy are all about.  Hopefully, for the audience’s sake, there will not be an encore performance by Montecore!

Posted by Chrysta.

Are you worried about what eternity might hold for you in the afterlife?  Well, now you can stop worrying and Reserve a Spot in Heaven for as little as $12.79!  Sound too good to be true?  Well, check out the website for yourself and see how your reservation in heaven is 100% guaranteed!

Never before have you been given the opportunity to guarantee your place in heaven simply by using your credit card!  You can choose to reserve a spot in heaven for yourself or buy a spot for your friends and loved ones.  There are actually two reservation packages to choose from, the Essential Travel Kit and the All Access Travel Kit. 

Both kits come with a certificate of reservation, a first class ticket, an official heavenly identification card, and a handy information guide to acquaint you with the holy land once you arrive in heaven.  However, the All Access Kit also comes with a VIP pass that will get you into all the coolest parts of heaven for just $15.95.  Hey, for just three dollars more, it seems well worth the upgrade!

On the other hand, if heaven doesn’t seem like your thing, you can also choose to Reserve a Spot in Hell for the same low price as heaven!  Not everyone wants to go to heaven it seems, so you can make your reservations in hell instead.  It seems that it might be a little bit harder to get into hell with all those sinners running around, so you might want to order now.  Makes a great holiday gift!  Of course, a good sense of humor is required for either package to be appreciated and enjoyed!

Reserve a Spot in Heaven

Reserve a Spot in Hell
 
Posted by Chrysta.