Flower Friday ... with something Extra

The flower is a native mountain mint which is just starting to bloom in our region.  It's a magnet for pollinators including these beautiful little Juniper Hairstreaks.  Most hairstreaks are gray, which makes this one stand out in the crowd.  Anyway, I liked the isolation of the butterfly in the frame so, while I got some other perhaps more interesting shots, this is my pick for today.  

We took MIL to see her cardiologist first thing this morning, which went well.  Got her back to the home, and then I left to catch up to my nature group for this week's walk.  It was at a favorite spot called Blue Mountain Lake which always has a wonderful array of insects and, sometimes, skinks (not today).  I had to hustle nearly a mile to catch up to them, but then enjoyed strolling leisurely, poking under leaves, grazing on wild blueberries and enjoying good company.  I have posted a selection (six) of photos from today starting HERE on FLickr.  Dragons, sexy damsels and beetles, a butterfly, a most cool cat, and an adorable fawn that was on the Lane when I got home.  

Checked in on my monarch caterpillars when I got home and found the first two are doing their walkabouts, preparatory to forming their chrysalis.  Right on schedule.  Expect most of the first container to be pupated by the end of the weekend.  The weather conditions have been perfect for development and everything is moving along very quickly.  The first releases will be in about 2 weeks.

Remember,  !am keeping a list of dedication requests and expect to release at least a hundred monarchs this season, so please don't hesitate to contact me with your requests. It means a lot to me to be able to send each monarch on its way carrying the memory of someone who was loved.  You can leave me a comment here, or email me (see my bio for email address).  

Thank you, as ever, to BikerBear/Anni for hosting Flower Friday!

Cheers,
xo
Debbi