Chasing Butterflies

   Most of the time, "chasing butterflies" refers to attempting to do a pointless task or just frittering away time.  Then, there are those who look at things logically and figure that the phrase pertains to the act of ridding caterpillars from the garden.  In my case, it is neither.  I chase butterflies as a form of therapy or perhaps I am just a wee bit distracted by the beauty found only in the fragility of the graceful insect.  Either way, I do chase butterflies.  Son says that I am just easily entertained and that my brain allows me to find tranquility in what others seem to overlook.  Maybe?

  Yesterday morning, a lovely swallowtail butterfly flitted from bloom to bloom in the garden. It was in no hurry and seemed a bit worn and tired.  I felt a certain connection with the bug as I sort of feel the same.  I am tired and tattered but still trying to function.  There is something about the summertime heat that wears thin...give me fall and winter and I am good.  The butterfly...not so much.  I am sure it prefers this weather over the winter drear.

  Yes, I do chase butterflies.  In fact, this photograph was taken through the branches of the grapefruit tree as the creature sat placidly in the morning sun on the beautyberry bush.  I was not about to disturb the butterfly's rest after it worked hard to get breakfast.  I knew just how it felt.

Pretty On Pink

   Although the flower gardens have reached their peaks and are now in a steady decline, the beauty can still be found.  The zinnia beds outdid themselves this summer and are still clinging to life even though they are long and lanky.  Pruning has gone the wayside.  For the rest of their days, I am leaving them to grow as they please which means they are spilling out of the gardens over the bench.  A few days ago, the mower caught some and really "pruned" them.  I just do not have the heart to yank them from the ground while they are still blooming.  Those blooms are feeding a lot of late butterflies.

  Speaking of butterflies, among all of the swallowtails and skippers was a lovely, little butterfly.  This is the first time I have come across one of these in the gardens so I am pretty excited!  I believe this adorable critter is a Checkerspot!  (Imagine that...checkerspot when it is checkered!)  The small butterfly stayed around all day feeding mainly on the pink zinnias.  Apparently, it has an affinity for pink!  

  With all of the lovely butterflies flitting around the zinnias, it would be a shame to rip out the plants.  Although the gardens look a bit shabby, they shall remain until the fall flowers begin to bloom.  

I Was Too Late

   I try to rescue as many critters as I can whether they be domesticated (throwaway pets) or wild.  I will go out of my way to gather up an injured or lost animal.  All of our pets have been ones that others have tossed out car windows or were going to kill because they did not want them any more.  As for wild critters, I just recently saved a cicada from ants but, in the past,  baby mockingbirds from dogs, a catfish from being stranded in a puddle and newborn skinks from flood waters.  The skinks were most likely my most dramatic rescue as that was done during the midst of a tropical storm.   All in all, rescuing critters is pretty satisfying.  You just feel good helping.

  This morning, however, that rescue did not happen.  As usual, I was up before dawn and down on the pier awaiting the sunrise.  As soon as the sky started to lighten in the east, a fluttering in the water caught my eye. Something was struggling to keep from drowning.  Oh, wow!  Time to drop the camera and help a friend in need.  Grabbing a long pole, I tried to gently lift a beautiful swallowtail butterfly from the water.  It took a few tries as the insect kept slipping off of the pole.  Finally, I had it!  Whew!  That was tricky.  

  The butterfly was hauled up to shore and placed on a pier pole that had washed in on the hurricane.  The sweet thing needed to dry out and rest a bit.  The warm sunshine would help it greatly.  Sad to say, the butterfly perished.  I was not on the pier soon enough to save it.  It obviously had met with some predator as its wings were tattered.  Poor thing!  I hate when rescues just do not work out as planned.  

Be A Butterfly!

   I have a lot of time to ponder things since the social distancing thing has pretty much always been a thing with me.  I prefer to be alone so, generally, people accept that.  This does not mean I am antisocial.  It merely means that I am fine with solitude at any given time and for any length of time.  Like I said, it gives me time to ponder things.  More folks should try it.  Pondering is good for the brain!

  Today's ponderance was about butterflies.  As I watched a black swallowtail sip nectar from the zinnia blooms, I began to wonder how something so fragile can survive in the harshness of a world full of predators.  Here I was not but about a foot from the butterfly and yet it had no fear.   Had I wanted, I could have easily crushed the life from the insect.  Not that I would ever kill one but just the size difference alone would make me seem threatening.  The butterfly totally ignored my presence and kept flitting from flower to flower. 

  You know, sometimes I think we all fret far too much over things.  We see what others are doing and get ourselves in an uproar.  Perhaps if we were more like the butterfly and kept to our own business, others would just go about their merry way, too.  Hopefully, by sticking to the Bayou by myself, peace will continue to surround me.  It is delightful!

Just What I Needed

   The Small Gardens are a huge mess.  There has been no time to spend tidying them due to the massive amount of debris that Hurricane Zeta left in the yard.  The debris comes first as there is another storm predicted to make its way into the Gulf.  If that storm takes aim at us, the debris can become missiles and do greater damage.  So, the Small Gardens will lie in their current state until time is not so short.  It saddens me each time I pass through them to get to the task at hand.  I barely look at the wind-ravaged plants as if ignoring them may make it all go away.

  This morning, however, a tiny speck of orange peeped  out of the shambles and demanded attention.  I knelt down and carefully lifted a bit of the mess from atop the plant.  A marigold struggled to put forth a bloom even though it was broken and bent.  That tiny, twisted blossom was the most beautiful sight I have seen in a week.  Touching the flower ever so gently, I wanted to let it know that I appreciated its effort.  Then, a tiny Pearl Crescent Butterfly came to the bloom.  Even though I was just inches away, the butterfly crawled on the petals in search of nectar.  

  Suddenly, the day was a bit brighter, the work did not seem so daunting and, perhaps I was not quite as exhausted.  Life goes on...somewhat.  It is different.  It is hard.  It is tiring.  But it is life.

Butterflies and Storms

   With the recent storm that brushed through the area, one would have to ponder just how the wildlife manages to stay safe.  During Hurricane Katrina, we had critters literally begging to be let inside the Little Bayou House and we did allow several of them access to the entryway and even other parts of the house.  With that storm ravaging the place, my heart melted when I would see an animal so weary and frightened.  I am sure they appreciated a bit of respite.  Most hunkered down in a corner and rested. During the squalls of two nights ago, I thought about my critter friends.  Not that this storm was overly strong but, without shelter of some sort, it had to be a difficult night.  If I could, I would bring them ALL inside!  

  As fragile as they are, you have to be truly amazed that butterflies and moths can withstand storm winds and torrential rains.  They do, however, and seem to be unperturbed after it calms.  Early the morning after the squall hit, Son and I headed out to survey the damage done to the pier.  I had to stop before even reaching the board path.  A lovely Longtailed Skipper was resting on a spent 4 o'clock bloom.  Wow!  This was one of the most beautiful skippers that I had ever seen!  The colors were so vibrant and, amazingly, the wings were not marred by the rough weather.  This butterfly had to find some sort of shelter overnight. 

  It is a known fact that butterflies know to seek shelter when storms come.  Even during just a rain shower, they will hunker down beneath a thicket or in tree crevices.  We have had both butterflies and moths seek shelter under the eaves of our house, in the greenhouse and under car hoods.  They will search to find any place that blocks the wind and rain.  True, a lot of the insects and other critters still die during severe storms but most know how to fend for themselves.  Critters are smart.  Obviously, the skipper was wise enough to seek shelter.  It fared well and brought smiles after the storm.

Orangeness!

   So, the color of today is orange!  Why?  Well, simple.  I am in an orange mood.  This mood was brought on by a butterfly and a flower.  An orange and black Gulf Fritillary Butterfly was sipping nectar from an orange zinnia.  If that does not get you into the orange mood, then nothing will!  Orange!  Orange and black...the colors of the butterfly...also, the colors of Halloween!  I love Halloween! So, I am in an orange mood AND I am decorating for Halloween!  Yep, it is early but I say do what makes you happy.  Halloween makes me happy so I am doing what I please.  Besides, the critters of the Bayou do not care if the Little Bayou House is decorated for Halloween in the middle of September!

  It seems to me that orange is definitely the color of fall.  Orange leaves, pumpkins, Halloween, flowers, persimmons, the Harvest moon, sunrises, sunsets...all things orange seem to be found in the fall!  (Yes, I do realize that the sun rises and sets year round but it definitely splashes the sky with color more starting in the fall and running through winter.)  With all this orangeness going on, you would think it is my favorite color.  Well, it is one.  The other is black..the lack of color.  Put those two together and, wham!  Halloween!  Favorite!

Faeries Exist!

   Sometimes I have to wonder about the those who get all up in arms about the beliefs of other folks.  What does it matter?   If I want to believe that the world is a giant snow globe or that there are actually purple snakes that spit darts, what business is it of yours?  To be honest, the snow globe thing was an awfully real dream of mine one time but purple snakes?  That said, if you really stop and think about a lot of things that seem impossible, there is usually a plausible explanation.  I tend to ponder things and can honestly understand how things become believable at times.  Still, it is of no concern of anyone's so if my ideas do not suit you, kindly move along.  Most everything here is for pure enjoyment anyway and not to be touted as evidence of any sort.

 My plausible ponderings of today revolved around tiny beings that are said to inhabit the woods, gardens, bayous or any spot anyone wishes to claim.  Faeries, sprites, elves, whatever you wish to call them, were flitting around in the brain today as I weeded the gardens.  There are those who fully believe that these creatures exist...and who am I to say contrary?  There are a lot of unexplained things on the Bayou so faeries may as well be real here.  These beings are a lot like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster.  A lot of folks claim to see them but any "photographs" usually just show a blur.  Does it take photographic proof to deem something as real?  Nah.  Some things are just camera shy.  The lack of clear pictures does not dull the interest in the tiny beings of the Bayou, however.  Plus, I have proof!  In photos!  For sure!  Ok, but the photos do sort of explain how some folks may come to have the idea in the first place. 

  While photographing butterflies in the Small Gardens, I found it highly difficult to catch any in flight.  I have a very old camera that does not do well with "action shots" so the wings are skewed and blurry (think Big Foot here).  Still, when looking at the photos, if one sort of squints (or has bad eyesight), the images could be of faeries...maybe?  If nothing else, the photographs lend themselves to be the basis of fantastical tales to amuse small children or easily entertained adults like me. (Also, look at the bottom colorless photo.  If you use the imagination, a faerie appears!  They exist!  Proof! hehe!)

  

  The point is that all of us have beliefs that could possibly be proved false.  We are human.  We are not infallible.  Get over it.  We are not made to be all carbon copies of one another.  That would be boring, to say the least.  So, if my purple snakes, snow globe theory or butterfly faeries are not your thing, I am ok with it.  Just like I am ok with whatever you wish to believe.  Life is too short to fret over others. (You do have to admit that Bayou Faeries and Swamp Nixies are rather intriguing!)

Stepping In It!

   Whenever I take a break from working, I sit in the shady gardens to cool myself.  If you sit and watch the doings of nature as much as I do, you are bound to ponder things.  I ponder things.  I think a lot while working but pondering comes during rest.  Then, I have time to delve into thoughts that are stored back in among the cobwebs of my brain.  That stash contains everything taught to me by those who took the time and effort to make sure knowledge was secured within reach if I ever needed it.  I appreciate their work.  Now, frequently, I search the nooks and crannies of the brain and filch out things of great importance...at least, important to me.

  For instance, today, I pondered the butterflies.  It seems we have more butterflies this year than ever before.  Hundreds flit around the hillside every day.  A ton relish the shade provided by the woods, others love the marsh but the zinnia garden seems to be a favorite gathering spot for many.  So, I pulled the wicker chairs next to the zinnias so I could have a front-row seat for the "Dance of the Butterflies". 

While watching, a thought occurred to me.  How do butterflies know what flower has tasty nectar?  And how do they choose what host plant will have delightfully delicious leaves for their caterpillars?  I should know this!!  I do know this!!  Time to dust off the information hidden behind the cobwebs.  I searched the dark corners of the brain and found my answer.  Somewhere, I had heard that butterflies can taste with their feet!  It makes sense if you watch the critters.  They always do a taste test before sipping the nectar.  Then, I queried...Is this actually true?  Or did I have false data stored?  Time to check.  Yep!  Butterflies taste with those feet according to what I could find.  I am sure glad that is settled.  See, pondering is good.

Flying Flowers Brighten The Day

  As of late, my early mornings are spent weeding the flower gardens.  This, at least, is something that I CAN do.  It is also something I SHOULD do since the Small Gardens are my realm.  Keeping them tidy goes a long way in my pleasure in spending most of my time here.  A well kempt garden was something Granddad taught me.  He always said that if the gardens were neat, the plants were happy and the flowers would bloom.  Tending the gardens keeps me happy, too.

  Along with the zinnias and phlox that are blooming, there are dozens upon dozens of "Flying Flowers".  At any given time during the day, there are fifty to sixty assorted butterflies flitting about the place. These add to the beauty of the gardens.  (Yes, I know they are laying eggs which will hatch to caterpillars but it is a price I will gladly pay for the gorgeous Flying Flowers.)   Just a couple of weeks ago, there were only a few swallowtails and an occasional sulfur that visited the gardens but now there is a plethora of the winged creatures.  The Flying Flowers fill the day!

The Question Mark

  Down behind the canebrake, there is one spot that gets direct beams from the sun in the late afternoon.  The trees block most of the ambient light but one shaft of light causes a bright splotch right between the canebrake and a large maple tree.  During my hikes around the marsh edge to the back of the creek, the canopy of trees almost gives the path a tunnel-effect.  That one brilliantly illuminated spot can be seen long before I reach the actual spot.  It was there that I found the Question Marks!

  As far back as the wild persimmon grove, I could see something fluttering in the sunbeams ahead.  It took a few minutes before I could actually identify the orange flutters but, once I did, I was amused at the antics.  There were five Question Mark Butterflies flitting about in the sunshine.  Several would try to "rest" on the dried leaves or downed twigs but they would be immediately "attacked" by the others.  This was a fine show of territorial rights and only the strongest would be allowed the comfort of the sunny, wind-free spot.  The others would have to seek another spot.  The strongest would stay, mate and lay eggs.

  Question Mark Butterfly is a strange name for an insect but it is named as such for a good reason.  While I could not get a photograph of the underside of the insect, it has a definitive sign on its hind wings.  On the underside of its hind wing, there is a pearly white "question mark" in the markings.  Other than that signature mark, the underside of the butterfly is relatively nondescript.  The outer part is beautifully colorful.  Bright orange base color, black dots and white edging on the "sculpted" wings give the tiny butterfly quite the elegant flare!  In the "winter" mode (those early butterflies), the wings show more orange but the "summer mode" ones have a good bit of black on the hind wings.

  The butterflies this evening put on quite the show.  Their territorial behavior was rather amusing as there is plenty of space for all of them.  I am assuming that these all hatched nearby and the adults wish to linger here as there is a ready supply of fruit castoffs for them in the compost pile.  The caterpillars (like most) eat leaves but the adult Question Mark Butterflies prefer to eat the juices from rotting fruit.  Odd meal but, hey, whatever makes them happy.  Just watching the butterflies made me happy so who am I to question their meal of choice?

The Little Wood Satyr

  Being tiny in a great big world can sure seem intimidating.  A fragile being surviving in a harsh environment is almost unfathomable.  It makes no sense.  Yet, the delicate of nature can survive and thrive.  Take, for instance, the butterfly.  It flits about in full view of every known predator but still manages to fulfill its procreatory duties and the cycle goes on.  In fact, some may say that it flaunts its resilience with its showy colors and full wings.  Surely, those draw attention to the insect!  Still, the bug carries on as if it has nary a care in the world. 

 This resilience came to mind, today, as I toted some scraps to the compost pile.  A small movement in the grass caught my eye.  This was a butterfly but of a different ilk than what we normally think of when one comes to mind.  This tiny creature is known as a Little Wood Satyr.  As I watched the little being dance from grass blade to grass blade, I had to chuckle.  Even though the creature is minute, it is wise.This, obviously, was a female and she was doing her part of keeping the species alive.  The Little Wood Satyr female lays her eggs on the blades of grass.  She carefully dots a single egg on a blade before moving to the next.  It takes about three days for those eggs to hatch and the little caterpillars to move down toward the lower part of the grass blade.  There it will munch away pretty much undetected for a while.  How smart is this butterfly??

  The odd thing about these butterflies is that they do not "eat" like the others.  While most flit about the flowers in search of nectar, the Little Wood Satyr literally eats...umm...bug poo. (Did I just say this creature was smart?)  Ok, so maybe not exactly bug poo but they eat honeydew from bugs like aphids and that is basically the same thing as bug poo.  The aphid eats plant sap which is really not that nutritious so they have to eat a lot.  Well, that makes them digest a lot and excrete a lot.  That is where honeydew comes from and that is what these butterflies eat.  Oh, enough of that.  Occasionally, one will try a bit of nectar if it cannot find enough of the other but that is a rare case.  I suppose this is another survival thing since they do not have to compete for flowers with the other larger butterflies.  Its a tough world out there so sometimes you have to do what you have to do to survive.  

Which is Which?

  A couple of weeks ago, I posted a photo and tale of a gorgeous butterfly that almost met its demise under the feet of the old dog.  Mr. PJ had unknowingly knocked the (not yet flight ready) butterfly off of the gatepost then almost stepped right on it.  I quickly intervened and picked up the butterfly and let it rest on the begonia until it was ready to go.  The butterfly was identified as a Spicebush Swallowtail and I told how it is often misidentified as a Pipevine Swallowtail.  The colors are the same and the markings are very similar.  The Spicebush Swallowtail actually benefits from this likeness as the Pipevine Swallowtail is toxic.  The mimicking protects the Spicebush Swallowtail from being eaten by predators.  Predators know the Pipevine Swallowtail is toxic so steer clear of anything that is similar.

  This morning, I found the "real deal"!  A Pipevine Swallowtail was visiting the lantana in the back garden.  The butterfly was busy flitting about the place and I was worried that I may not be able to get a photo of it to be used as a comparison shot.  Happily, I did!   So, here are the two!  Notice that the Spicebush Swallowtail (top photo) has two rows of one orange spots on its hind wings and the Pipevine Swallowtail (bottom photo) has only one.

Warning! Don't Eat Me!

  Son has often said that if you ingest things that are slightly "toxic" over a period of time, your body will build an immunity to said substance.  I imagine there is some logic in that idea since he is probably the most logical person I know.  You can depend upon his reasonings without a shred of doubt.  That said, even though I fully trust his word, I have yet to find myself with this overwhelming urge to attempt munching on some known toxin.  However, there are some critters that do just that.  They can happily dine upon things that would send the rest of the world for a loop and they do it without seemingly any dire effects.

  Take, for instance, the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly.  The caterpillar will feed upon vines known to contain toxic chemicals and, yet, the caterpillar shows no ill effects, whatsoever.  In fact, that diet is what is its lifeline, in more ways than one.  Since the caterpillar eats toxins, it is poisonous to anything that eats it.  The very thing that kills other critters saves the caterpillar's life.  One of the identified host plants is the passion flower vine.  Its toxic chemicals stay in the caterpillar's body even after it transforms into a butterfly.  This makes the butterfly toxic to other critters (such as birds) that wish to eat it.  The bright orange coloring is a warning!

  This pretty butterfly visited the gardens this morning and seemed to be partial to resting in the nandina bushes.  Occasionally, it would flit down to hover over the lantana blooms before heading back to the nandinas.  The morning sunbeams made its orange wings seem even brighter than normal making me think of fall...orange always makes me think of fall.  A bit of wishful thinking there.

Early Morning Rescue!

  At daybreak, it is my habit to take the old dog out for his morning walk.  As we walk (slowly due to his age and health), I watch critters.  The pace of our hike gives me ample time to photograph anything that catches my eye.  This morning, however, it was the dog, himself, that found a critter.  Mr. PJ sort of caused a major accident for a beautiful, yet delicate, creature.  As he was lumbering through the gate, he inadvertently knocked a butterfly from its perch.  Obviously, the creature had just come from its cocoon and was trying to stretch out and dry its wings.  Mr. PJ did not even notice.  He did a slow motion version of "hit and run".  The butterfly struggled to right itself.  It could not make the long three foot journey back to the gatepost so I knew I had to help.  Left on the ground, ants would have soon killed the lovely insect.  I gently slid my hand near the butterfly.  It had reservations, at first, but with a tiny bit of nudging, it climbed aboard for the "air-lift" to a nearby plant.  The butterfly immediately settled in on the begonia and started flexing its wings and I followed along behind old Mr. PJ.

  It was several hours later before I remembered the butterfly.  I decided to check on my new found friend just to assure myself that the old dog did not do major harm.  Mr. PJ is the type dog that would never intentionally harm anything so no blame could be put on him.  Happily, I was just in time to see the butterfly take flight!  Oh, happy day!  It did the heart good to think that perhaps a helping hand was all it took to save a life.

  The butterfly in question is none other than a Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly.  This gorgeous creature is similar to another swallowtail, the Pipevine, but a few orange dots makes all the difference.  The Spicebush has two rows of dots, whereas, the Pipevine has a single row.  The mimicking coloration does a good job protecting the Spicebush!   The Pipevine is said to taste nasty to birds so they think twice about snatching the Spicebush thinking it may taste the same.  

Mystery of the Missing Butterflies

  Several times in the past few weeks, I have made mention of the weeds/wildflowers that I allow to pretty much take over the gardens.  Fall sees these plants put on their finest attire which gives the gardens a lovely splash of color.  Fall, also, sees the migration of butterflies that come to visit these very flowers....usually.

  As I was out with the old dog this afternoon, I made a very sad observation.  Although, the wildflowers are in full bloom, nary a monarch was sipping nectar.  The wild ageratum are usually the desired bloom for the orange butterflies.  These and the milkweeds seem to attract more monarchs than any other blooms in the gardens.  Today, however, I found only a few small fritillary butterflies and nothing else.  

  Are the monarchs simply running late this year or did they take an alternate route through the area?  I have no idea other than to say that none of my neighbors have seen the mass migration of previous years.  This, indeed, makes me sad. 

Can't Have One Without The Other

  Months ago, the fennel was growing well.  It is one of the herbs that is easy to grow, fun to harvest, smells divine and once the seeds are dried, lasts forever!  Fennel is a must have in my herb stash. Not only is it a great culinary herb, it has numerous medicinal uses.  It calms the stomach, clears the digestive tract and can help cut phlegm from sinuses and colds.  I use it so many ways in my home remedies.   Being as it is easy to grow, I have several nice large clumps in the herb garden.  The bright green leaves and yellow blooms add a bit of loveliness to the yard.

  It is those bright green leaves that also attract egg-laying butterflies.  The black swallowtails seem to be especially fond of the plants so after the eggs hatch into hungry caterpillars, the fennel looks a bit ragged for a few weeks.  I am one who will leave most caterpillars alone to dine upon the herbs.  The butterflies are worth a few munched leaves.  Spraying the fennel would not only kill the caterpillars, it would also poison the plants for my use.  

  This morning, the reward of neglecting the fennel for the past few months had paid off.  A gorgeous black swallowtail flitted about the garden.  Obviously, the swallowtails love the nectar of the chive blooms, too!   Its beauty was well worth a few missing leaves.  It sort of makes me sad that, even though most folks love the beauty of butterflies, they hate the caterpillars.  Sorry to inform you, folks...you cannot have one without the other.

Poor Little Thing....

  The harsh winter weather that we have been feeling here on the Bayou is bad enough for people.  We whine and complain about how cold it is and how the wind chills us to the bone all the while, sitting in our warm, snug houses.  While it is bad for us, think about the critters.  We receive constant reminders to "bring pets indoors" but what about the wild critters?  They have to fend for themselves during these harsh times.  Our pets have become lackadaisical in their survival skills since we have provided everything from food to a soft, warm bed for them.  Most would not survive on their own nowadays.  They have become "soft" and would not have a clue as to finding food, sensible shelter and protection from predators.  In our kindness, we truly have not done the pets any favors.  When, (God forbid!) one should become lost or separated from the family, it likely will succumb to the elements due to the very protection we have always given it. Not that this is bad.  Don't get me wrong...I am all for making life the best for our furry friends but I was just trying to drive home a point.  These harsh times are strenuous on the wild critters out there.  If a critter is fragile or weak, it will most likely die cold and hungry.  Sad to say but true.  It all goes back to that "survival of the fittest".

  Our winters here are fickle.  We can have frigid, pipe-bursting, ice-coating storms that cause us to shiver and shake then, three days later, we are barefoot and sweating.  This erratic weather pattern confuses, not only folks like me, but most critters, as well.  They do not know whether to hunker down in a warm den or start nesting.  I was out gathering firewood today when I spied something that saddened me a bit.  The spurt of warm weather after the last Arctic blast brought out a number of critters that would have been well-advised to stay dormant a bit longer.  Spring is not here.  A tiny butterfly wing fluttered in the north wind.  The poor little thing obviously had thought spring was here and crawled out of its cocoon.  This was the wrong move as its life was cut short but the current blast of cold.  The small, yellow butterfly had met its demise due to the plunging temperatures last night.  Bitter cold weather took its toll on the fragile being.  Hopefully, our next bout of warmer weather will not encourage other critters to take the same plunge as this butterfly.  Hunker down, little critters!  We have more winter yet to come.

 

 

Just Another Leaf

  Late this afternoon, I was out doing a bit of hiking while checking to see just what needed to be done to prepare for the possible hurricane.  I figure I had better get a jump on things even this early in the game.  With Son's knee still not in the best condition, he will have to do some of the indoor chores and let me handle the outdoors.  Life did get a whole lot easier today since Mark is back home from his job and will be here to handle the difficult stuff.  (What a huge blessing!)  I did do a few small things as I hiked such as bringing in the bottles from the bottletree and taking up the bird feeders.  The poor birds will just have to scavenge on the ground for their seeds for the next few days.  Tomorrow will see me in full swing.  The grass will be mowed, all of the lawn furniture stowed away, the greenhouse secured and any remaining fruit or vegetables will be picked.

  While down near the persimmon tree, I spied a mass of wild grapevines. Perhaps these had a few grapes leftover from the scavenging coons. Those rascals devoured the Muscadines and Scuppernongs before I could pick them.  The day after their raid, I managed to only get one quart of grapes from the entire arbor.  Perhaps a few Fox or Possum grapes remained on the wild vines and I could add those to my stash.  I eased down through the palmettos.  A careful watch was needed so I would not inadvertently step on a cottonmouth.  No grapes are worth that pain!  But, sad to say, the coons beat me to the wild grapes also.  

  As I turned to leave, I noticed someone hiding in amongst the grape leaves!  A sweet yellow butterfly was trying to find a safe place to spend the night.  Its bright yellow coloring would be sure to stand out against any dark foliage but the grape leaves were already yellowing with age. The butterfly's habit of danging from a twig with wings folded was the perfect camouflage.  It moved once as I stepped in closer to get a photograph but then settled back in for the night. I think it knew that I meant it no harm.  

  With the threat of a hurricane bearing down on us, preparations are a priority.  Since a sure storm path is never a reality, it is wise to fall back on that old saying of "better to be safe than sorry."  I will be busy for the next few days "just in case".  If the storm does decide to move away from this area, I will chalk my efforts up to "being ahead of the game with the week's work". While doing my chores, I am sure that I will run across many more critters seeking shelter or searching for food.  It always makes me wonder just how they survive during hurricanes.  Wish I could lend a helping hand.

****My, oh, my!  It is amazing how things can change in just a matter of hours!  We were watching what was said to be a 80% chance of a hurricane coming our way and that has now been change to a 0% chance!   Two hours after posting the above, I am here editing that everything is looking good! Yippee! 

One is the loneliest number...err, butterfly

  The lack of Monarch Butterflies, once again, has me a bit befuddled. Usually during this time of year, the purple ageratums are covered with the butterflies as they make a pit stop on the Coast during their migration.  This fall, I have seen a grand total of one..one..and only one. Don't get me wrong, there are all sorts of other butterflies and moths visiting the Bayou but the lack of Monarchs does indeed make me a bit sad.  I love the beauty of the bright orange and black insects as they flit about the flowers.  

  This afternoon, I found a butterfly on the ageratums but it was not a Monarch.  This was a Gulf Fritillary and although it mimics the Monarch in coloring, there is a definite difference.  First the Gulf Fritillary is smaller than the Monarch.  The markings of this butterfly are not as thickly etched in black as the Monarch is nor is the underside as prominently marked.  The Fritillary has much more silver on the undersides of its wings.  

  As the Fritillary bounced from bloom to bloom, the setting sun caught that silvery lining and made it absolutely gleam.  I stood spellbound for a few minutes while the insect sipped nectar. The glimmering made me think of how not too very long ago, butterflies were mass killed to be used as an art medium.  Their brightly colored wings were used in making jewelry.  Pieces of actual butterfly wings were placed in lockets or under glass and made into pendants.  Granted the pieces are gorgeous and I admit that I have one.  No, I did not buy the thing.  It was passed down from generation to generation and then handed over to me.  Just a few years ago, I gave it to my daughter. She actually wore the thing during her wedding as to have a memento of her grandmother close by her during  this special day.  But no matter how special the tiny pendant is because of family ties, it tugs at the old heart knowing that one of the beautiful butterflies perished to create it. It is nice to know that there are now laws to prohibit mass killing of butterflies for things like that but these laws do not cover the killings caused by insecticides that are dumped on blooms each year.  The butterflies and honeybees suffer because of the "need" to eradicate all bugs from gardens. 

  Well, I will enjoy my lone Gulf Fritillary and one Monarch that visited this year and I will count my blessings for the thousands of Swallowtails that call the Bayou home!  No chemical sprays for me and my butterflies (and honeybees!).