AKA Speed Blogging or Stream of Consciousness
When I last visited with you, I shared that we were "babysitting" monarch butterfly chrysalises for friends while they were out of town. We watched a total of 7 emerge over the week, and it never got old. As time went on, I learned to "read" the chrysalises and know when a hatching was imminent. When that happened, I checked on them every few minutes. I was a bit obsessed. 😊
We released each on flowers, so they would have ready nectar if they wanted it. They all had their own way with interacting with the world for the first time. Some flew into the sky immediately, and others hung around on the plant for several minutes before they went exploring.
We have a fair number of swallowtail and skipper butterflies in the yard, but no monarchs. So when I saw a monarch fly by in the yard yesterday, I thought it was one of the babies. So exciting. I've had a smile practically all week watching these velvet-winged beauties.
I'm not sure what else has been going on except that the weather went back into the 90s this week with "feels like" temperatures in the 100s. I am so happy that we have AC. But the humidity is not a friend to my hair. Can you say Brillo pad? That's what my frizz reminds me of. But that's a small price to pay for being outside. Even in the heat, I like to spend a little time out there. But once again, I will say that I am happy to have AC to retreat to.
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| Not a monarch, but a hummingbird moth. |
We've been working on plans for the next few months, including a couple of local trips. I'm a planner and always feel better when I have a plan. The next question is whether we're going to take a trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary at the end of November.
Now that we're retired, we have more flexibility in our schedule to do these things. My older friends strongly advise me to travel now while we still have reasonable health. However, I've never been a big traveler for various reasons, so it often takes me out of my comfort zone. But that's good for me.
There goes my timer, so that's it for now.
Until next time...
