Monday

 It was a butterfly morning.  The first thing that usually happens is hanging food for the birds.  And today the second thing that happened was checking to see if the butterflies had emerged.  Nope.  nothing going on.  But it didn't take long, perhaps an hour when both chrysalis split and the butterflies started their interesting emerge.  I grabbed the camera and started taking pictures.  

When emerging they are folded. up with their tail touching the top of their heads.  When more space is available they unfold. It's an amazing watch. It reminds me of dancers that can do unbelievable moves.  

This little lady is very wet.  She needs to dry off and allow her wings to gain the ability to pump up to flying size. Both butterflies this morning were females. 

                                    The first dark line on the left shows thickness meaning female. 

Because the morning temperatures were questionable for flying  I added a few things to the milkweed until the butterflies were released.  

This morning my words to the chrysalis were "not today".  The temperature in the low 70's was less than favorable for flying.  Temperatures around 82 or more are the more desirable.  But by 11 o'clock the sun was out and it seemed a bit warmer.  I took Number One to the butterfly weed where I found all of the caterpillars this spring.  It took a few minutes of sitting and then off into the wild blue younder went Number One.

I followed with Number Two in a few minutes taking her to the common milkweed.  This little lady had nothing to do with sitting but took off immediately.  

Can you see the thickened lines on the lower part of the wings?

Doug spotted both in the afternoon flying near where they were released in the morning.  I haven't seen them but wish them well.  

So from a small little cream-colored egg laid on the underneath side of the Butterfly Weed with the momma butterfly almost upside down.  And then to emerge from the egg, a very tiny caterpillar growing to adult size with lots of eating.  Then forming a chrysalis when more magic happens during the next two weeks of their lives and then become the gift to us of a Monarch.  God has shown us again the miracle of life. It never gets old. There will be more excitement in a couple of days. 

So when all that excitement was over I did some basil transplanting, watering and finished cleaning up paths on the north side of the house.  

            Two paths diverge under the tall fir tree...and I took the one less traveled...No...I took both of                them. Hard work with this horrible ground cover the birds planted.  What was I thinking? 

There will be a little watering.  The weather map is a tease.  Once again rain to the south east,  The rain  melts away when it nears the little blue dot on my phones' weather map.  Grrrrr.