The Red Spotted Purple with White Admiral Stripes!

My husband and I decided to go swimming at Whipple Dam. So we picked up a pair of hoagies at Couch's and drove to Whipple. We parked in a spot by the lake, and then walked over to have our swim.

On the walk over, I spotted a butterfly in a tree (see extra photos) that looked like a white admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis). I could clearly see white bands on both the under side and upper side of the top wings.

But when we walked back after swimming, the same butterfly was hanging out on the road (see above). And I could see that it was clearly a red spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), but with just the ghost of white stripes on those two upper wings.

It looked like a butterfly that was somehow caught in the middle between the two different manifestations of Limenitis arthemis! It couldn't decide whether to be a red spotted purple or a white admiral when it grew up!

"I think Barb was saying hello to you!" one of my Facebook friends said, when I shared the photos.

And I thought about my sister for a second and laughed out loud: "Barb was a GEMINI! She would absolutely LOVE this!"

So here is the Gemini butterfly, perhaps bearing a message from my big sister, that it's OK to be exactly whoever you want to be (or even, perhaps BOTH at once!), even if it means coloring outside the lines!

I've also included a photo of a huge frog in the extras. I initially thought it was a bullfrog based on the size, but it turns out it is a green frog. And a big one at that! Very green, very large. Check it out!

And now I find I have three more things to say:

1. It's almost the end of July. If there is some kind of special summer thing you've been hoping to do, you might want to do it soon!

2. Please wear your sunglasses, as many eye problems that occur later in life can be prevented by one simple action: wearing sunglasses! And put them on your children too, please!

3. Fishermen, please clean up after yourselves. I have picked up fishing line from the ground and disposed of it every single time I've been at Whipple Dam this year. Fishing line can cause many wildlife tragedies. Be a responsible fisherman or woman, and clean up after yourself, please!

That is all from here!

The soundtrack song is for the butterfly who is between two forms: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with Between Two Worlds.