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!

Early Transformation

  Late this afternoon, I finally climbed down off the tall stepladder to take the old dog out for a hike.  He has been so patient with me as I paint the living room that he got three extra treats and a promise of a nice, long walk!  After nearly an hour of meandering about the place, we settled down on the pier to watch the mullet jump.  Oops!  Big mistake.  Spring is here...the gnats are out in full force.  That ended our lounging for the day as even PJ wanted inside!  

  On the way back up the hill, a small movement in the pine straw caught my eye causing me to linger a bit longer.  Since I had left the door open, PJ was safely inside and I could explore the cause of the wiggling pine needles.  Dropping to my knees, I was surprised to see a moth making its way up a pine tree.  This little guy had just emerged of its chrysalis and was ready to do its transformation!  It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time!  So what else could I do but watch!

  At the first sighting, the wings of the moth were still tightly folded and moist.  The moth needed to climb a few feet before finding a satisfactory spot to unfurl the wings so they could dry and it could become a full fledged moth.  This only took a few moments and I admit that I wandered off for a bit in the midst of the transformation.  About ten minutes from start to finish was all it took for the critter to turn from a weird looking bug to a gorgeous moth!

  Now a question...why are most butterflies so brightly colored while most moths are predominantly gray, brown or green?  Well, it is a simple matter of survival.  Butterflies are active during the day and visit brightly colored flowers to feed.  Their colors help them to blend with their surroundings.  The same goes for moths.  Most moths are more active at night and hide during the daytime hours.  Their coloring and markings help them to blend with tree bark or leaves.  At night, there is no need for bright colors so the more muted tones suit their needs.  Question answered!