Romie and I took a stroll along the creek that runs behind our house Sunday afternoon. We were checking on the wild grapes that we'd discovered last year, to see if we were going to have any for jelly-making. It was a very warm afternoon, and love was in the air...
Not ours.
As we made our way back to the house, we saw many butterflies gliding along the breezy currents of air, sometimes stopping for a sip of nectar. Yellow sulphurs, Cabbage whites, Summer azures, Skippers, and of course, our beloved Monarchs.
There are several lush Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) plants back there and they are in full bloom now. The milkweed blooms attract the Monarchs, and since the Monarch babies (caterpillars) feed only on members of the Asclepias family, those milkweed plants are like a banquet laid out for them.
A couple of days ago, I had told Romie I'd seen a Monarch flying along, carrying another Monarch. I really thought one was dead and I imagined it being carried back to some site of mourning. HA!
Today, I got a lesson in butterfly sex. Again, a Monarch was carrying a Monarch, and neither of them was dead. They were very much alive and propagating the species. Ahhh...buggy love.
"Bejeweled"
8 comments:
Catchy title! :) I've never seen the mating ritual between butterflies. I love the pic of the Milkweed. Mine is just starting to come into bloom, the flowers look like they'll be orange, it's a new plant this year.
Great shot Kylee!
Maybe that "little talk" should be about the birds and the bees and the butterflies.
I hope Romie passes his test with flying colors. You two are in my thoughts and prayers.
So cool! Your monarch photo is wonderful and I love your post too.
Also... please know that I'm thinking of you both right now.
Hugs and prayers,
Cindy
Love is definitely in your garden now Kylee. How is Romie feeling? Have you had any results from his tests?
Kylee,
As always the photos are wonderful.
Now that my busy season is over I'll be blogging again and be able to stop by again. I always enjoy your blog.
take care and my thoughts are with you both. Bob
Perennial Gardener ~ We have that butterfly weed, too. Also the same one in yellow. They don't get nearly as large as the swamp milkweed though. Aren't the flowers intricate?
Garden Girl ~ Thanks! That's a zoomed shot and I'm surprised how well it came out! They were high up in a tree.
Robin ~ Thank you for your prayers, we both really appreciate them!
Cindy ~ Thank you, Cindy. We can use all the prayers we can get.
Lisa ~ Romie is just anxious about the procedure tomorrow and what they might find. The questions they asked him today about POA, a will, and resuscitation kind of unnerved him, but it's just standard procedure. I think we'll both be glad when tomorrow is over!
Bob ~ Good to see you back again, Bob! Thank you for the kind words and thoughts. :-)
Wait, your milkweeds are just blooming now? Hmm... mine have been done blooming for a couple of weeks. I wonder if that's why I never see any flowers on those--or the fennel, either, for that matter?
Great pictures, by the way! Both of this and the "crack in the sky!"
Post a Comment