"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow."(Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You)
We took a few days off to camp & cycle and just enjoy the long holiday weekend. It was a much needed rest and a chance to recharge as we enjoyed beautiful sunsets, explored wide open countryside and while we did not have to decide "which color to slide down on the rainbow" we did walk the yellow brick road.
The last two weeks I have been keeping an eye out for the annual monarch migration. This year, I have only had an occasional butterfly visit the backyard and I have read articles in the local paper that the whole state of MN is short on butterflies which the authors blame on our cold & wet spring.
Last night I finally noticed a dozen or so flitting about the garden so just before dark I took a walk around the property. The most I found roosting in a single tree were these 3.
This morning I again went out and walked around the whole yard and groves. All together I saw approximately 50 butterflies not the huge branches full of them as in years past.
I will continue my watch but either I missed the huge flocks while gone this weekend...
or the numbers of monarchs just aren't here as in years past.
6 comments:
I'm glad you had a good weekend and were able to recharge your batteries. I've only seen monarch flocking once. It was in a huge maple tree in an old cemetery in Spring Hill, Minnesota.
I can't imagine seeing 50 let alone trees full! Lucky you! :c)
The butterflies are so beautiful - glad you got a little R&R.
Hi Marsha,
I haven't seen huge flocks of monarchs migrating either, but did manage to catch and tag 3 wild ones on some Joe Pye weed flowers last Saturday afternoon.
It was a really swell weekend for riding motorcycles though, wasn't it?
Hope you just missed them. I would love to experience that just once. I saw my first ever Monarch this year. Have seen one on 3 different occasions this summer. Hope to see them again next year.
Hope you just missed them. I would love to experience that just once. I saw my first ever Monarch this year. Have seen one on 3 different occasions this summer. Hope to see them again next year.
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