Field Trip

The four of us drove down to Pacific Grove to check on the Monarch butterfly sanctuary. Like our own town, PG is a winter mecca for these creatures, and this is a banner year. The eucalyptus grove is dark, and visitors peer into the trees, trying to find a butterfly. It's squinty and difficult and oh my goodness, once you see them you can't unsee them! Look at all those long strands, maybe you think they are leaves, or moss, but look again: hundreds and hundreds of butterflies linked in thick strands hanging from the upper branches. With their wings closed, they are drab and brown, barely distinguishable, but watch for the flashes of brilliant orange! Just down the path, a photographer pointed out a gorgeous yellow Townsend's Warbler, which is in the Extras.
It was a wonderful day, being with friends and seeing such remarkable things.