Gifts in the garden

Nestled in.

Is it possible to become friends with a butterfly?

It is if you first become a part of nature.  You suppress your presence as a human being, stay very still, and convince yourself that you are a tree or grass or a flower.  It takes time, but once the butterfly lets its guard down, you can become friends quite naturally.

~ Haruiki Murakami, 1Q84

Sharing the flowers.

… I come here every day, say hello to the butterflies, and talk about things with them.  When the time comes, though, they just quietly go off and disappear.  I’m sure it means they’ve died, but I can never find their bodies.  They don’t leave any trace behind.  It’s like they’ve been absorbed by the air.  They’re dainty little creatures that hardly exist at all: they come out of nowhere, search quietly for a few, limited things, and disappear into nothingness again, perhaps to some other world.

~ Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

The Monarchs are so beautiful that I have trouble coming up with captions.

It must be Butterfly Day in the scrounger’s garden.  I went out there this morning to see who might be out and about.  I planned to stay a few minutes and then take a walk in the woods.  The woods will have to wait for another day.  Besides, there was a large Black Rat Snake (aka Eastern Rat Snake) blocking the path into the woods.  He was sunning himself.  I left him to it.

Enjoying the zinnias.

I do have pictures of the snake, but some of my visitors prefer not to see snakes, not even photographs of snakes, so I’ll leave it to your imagination.  He was a pretty good size (5-6 feet long), and his scales where shimmering in the sunlight.

Dancing lightly.

I’m guessing you’d rather see the butterflies, anyhow.

Two Common Buckeyes and a wasp or bee. (You might have to click on this one to see the bee or wasp.  I think it’s a wasp, but it’s too small for me to be sure.)

I was fortunate enough to see four Monarchs in the garden and one hanging around on the branch of the pin oak tree near the vegetable garden.  You might not think that’s a lot, but I think it is twice as many as I saw last year.

As beautiful — maybe more so — as the flowers.

There is something magical about butterflies.  Do I say that about most things in nature?  I suppose I do.  It’s almost all magic to me.

Splendor in the garden.

All the butterflies are beautiful, but there is something special about the Monarch.  Maybe it’s hope.  Hope that we haven’t completely destroyed the world in which live just yet.

Unfolding.

Thank you for joining me in the garden for a little while.  I think I’ll go out to the Point for sunset this evening.  There are a few clouds in the sky that might make it interesting.  Sunset is at 6:35 PM.  Meet me there if you like.

Balanced.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

Reminder:  If you’re participating in Walktober, please post your pingback or link to your post here.  You have until midnight of October 25, although if you need more time, let me know.  I’ll gladly extend it.  (Click on the Walktober widget in the sidebar to the right if you are unfamiliar with the Walktober event.  It will take you to last year’s post about it.  One of these days I’ll get around to making a Walktober page.)  Also, it is my goal to post my walks nearly every day this month, but please don’t feel like you have to keep up with me.  I know how time consuming it can be to keep up with other bloggers, especially those who post daily.  I’m happy enough seeing you when you have the time.

The only Monarch visitor in the garden yesterday. I’m glad s/he has the company of other Monarchs today.

Today’s joys:  Butterflies!; smiles and laughter; beauty and joy; mild temperatures; playing with Izzy the Cat early this morning (Bella the Cat just watched because she prefers to play at night).