Stained Glass Tapestry

That is what a monarch's wings look like to me under magnification.  If you look closely, you can see the scales that cover this perfect male monarch's wings - each untouched by time, weather, or predators.  He is the 25th butterfly I've released so far this season.  He and a female flew today for the parents of a long-time friend of mine.  

I'm still feeling on the far side of human, but marginally better than yesterday.  Still a lot of coughing and sneezing, but I do think I've passed the apex.  I even managed to spend a half hour or so in the garden today, hunkered over a patch of mountain mint watching  bees and wasps and feather-legged flies.  I even got a fleeting glimpse of a Great Black Wasp, which was very cool.  She buzzed me a few times, circled the mint patch (probably looking for a hapless katydid) and then took off - they are elusive creatures.

I still have loads of monarchs queued up in the nursery, so please do let me know if you want me to put a loved one's name on my list for releases this year.  I'm going to have a big number of releases coming up in about 5-10 days and would love it if they could each fly for someone special.


A big buddleia bush that I planted last year finally started blooming a few weeks ago - big, fat, glorious spikes of nectar-rich flowers that are proving to be irresistible to butterflies and hummers.  If I'm feeling better tomorrow, I may just plant myself out next to it, with both cameras and see what I can find.  Plus, it's right next to a big patch of mountain mint...  Yes, I'm definitely starting to feel more human.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

xo
Debbi