FlowerFriday...with a bonus

Well, you know I can't just leave well enough alone and "just" blip a flower...I like to have a critter in the shot.  And I'd be hard pressed to find a better looking critter than this little Spotted Cucumber Beetle.  He was just hanging out on the sunflowers this morning, waiting for the temperatures to rise a bit.  As you might gather from the name, this attractive little guy is considered to be a crop pest; however, I enjoy seeing them in the garden.  Probably because I'm not growing cucumbers...

I released 5 monarchs today: four that eclosed late yesterday and one that eclosed this morning.  My total release numbers so far are 13 males and 16 females.  Tomorrow I expect to welcome another 4-6 butterflies into the world and each will be sent on it's way in someone's memory.

I am trying to release every butterfly in memory of someone who is gone from this world.  I am keeping a list of requests and have room for many more, so please leave me a comment or email me if you'd like me to release one in honor of someone you miss.  

We are heading into a three day weekend celebrating America's labor movement.  Over the years it has also come to represent the end of summer as many kids head back to school after the long weekend. Hubs and I will be celebrating 17 years of marriage this weekend - tomorrow to be exact.  I'm sure I'll have a few things to say tomorrow...

Thanks to Anni/BikerBear for hosting Flower Friday.  And thanks to the chipmunks for planting the sunflowers for me this year (they bury the sunflower seeds that I leave out for the birds all over the place, resulting in little patches of big yellow flowers).

xo
Debbi