Butterfly Magic / Into the Golden Woods

The big news of the day is that we have a brand new butterfly! Our monarch eclosed in the afternoon, and I'm happy to report that we were home! We did not get to see the actual part where it climbs out of the chrysalis, even though I checked every hour. 

My husband went out around 2:30 in the afternoon and came running back in: "Your butterfly has HATCHED!" he shouted. So out I went with camera. Here is a photo for all of us to enjoy. I have not seen any open-winged stances so far, but Debbi and I believe this to be a female. 

As of this writing (Thursday morning), she is still here. It is to get a bit sunny later today, and that's when I think she will fly away! What a precious, precious gift: a bit of butterfly magic for us to get to experience. I sat with her for several hours on this day. I reported to my husband: "I think she looks a little bit like BARB!" So here's a great big HOORAY for team butterfly!

In further butterfly news, one of our caterpillars has disappeared. The other one, quite grumpy if you must know, is attempting to form a J on a milkweed leaf that is getting ready to fall. Oh my, isn't it always SOME bit of drama in the butterfly patch!

I have another update, and that is that things around here are starting to turn. The leaves, that is. They are beginning to go to gold! The colors were luminous in the rain. It is marvelous to watch, and I am here to give you the full report on the show.

It was pouring down rain, but my husband wanted to jog anyway. So we both walked up Tow Hill under our umbrellas. Then he jogged while I walked around looking at the colors. I had on a new shoe which I haven't had a chance to show you yet: a women's Gore-Tex Scarpa trail runner, purchased at a low low discount price from Sierra Trading Post. 

No, I do not run unless I'm chased by bears (which hardly ever happens, people; bears are just NOT that interested in you!). But I thought it might make a great trail walking shoe. And I was so right. I took it out to field test it on this day.

It is a wonderful shoe, and so comfy. But I did take it in over its limits. Of course. (My husband says I'm "living hell" on foot gear. Go figure!) I was standing by the edge of one of the Tow Hill ponds, the big one with the sand pile. And it was a lot deeper there than I thought. I looked down suddenly. Oops! Water in over the shoe! But that was user error, not gear failure, so I do not hold it against it.

The shoe was exceptionally good at traversing up and down what I call the knife edge, which is a shot straight down a hill over slick clay and wet leaves and slippery rocks and sticks. In the extras, you can see just the top part of that area, with some golden foliage.

I also saw several fine, sassy newts. The first one outran me on the trail and I barely got a photo. The next three were CLIMBING TREES. Yes, you heard that right. I've never seen a newt climb a tree in all my 59+ years of living. On this day, I saw THREE.

The first one was a red eft, running as fast as possible up a tree. THAT one caught my attention. The next two were just parked there, less than a foot up a tree, nose up, like a tiny airplane. Well met, fine tree-climbing newts. Now, I guess I have learned a thing on this day! I'd include a photo but the actual pictures were sort of bland and the light was bad. A video of that red eft, charging up the tree trunk, would have been more fun!

What a fine day it was, in spite of the fact that we all got soaked. Well, all of us except the fresh butterfly, safe on its pot of flowers, under the roof overhang by the garage, drying out her brand new wings, getting ready to fly!

I have two images for this very interesting and fun day (in spite of all the rain): for the butterfly magic, I've got Queen, with A Kind of Magic. For the golden woods, I've got Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers and some fine, fine harmonies: All the Gold.

Related blips:
In which I steal a chrysalis
The chrysalis darkens!