Grand Surpise

Mourning Cloak butterfly, on the ground in Saskatoon, early spring 2021

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." ~ unknown

The butterfly is a marvelous example of trust and metamorphosis. What is a butterfly if not the flowering of a caterpillar that spreads its fragile wings to soar? I first spotted this Mourning Cloak butterfly on a bright warm day at the end of March. I was walking along the river in Saskatoon, and it was extraordinary to me because there was still snow on the ground! (Above photo taken two weeks later.) Some research revealed its name, and because it appears so early, it is also called the "grand surprise". I like that. Apparently, it is one of only a few species of butterfly that doesn't always migrate and may stay in the butterfly state, hibernating for the winter under tree bark. Amazing. 

The other day I noticed a large yellow butterfly lying on its side in watery sand on the shore. Thinking it had completed its cycle, I bent down to pick it up. When I touched its wing, it flew away in a floating dance. Another grand surprise!

In my family, the butterfly is a symbol for our dear mom. ðŸ¦‹ We think about her often, especially on this occasion.


Caterpillar photo from my sister Janet Trenaman on her recent trip to Costa Rica. 

Comments

  1. AnnetteJanuary 9, 2022 at 11:31 AM

    Lovely seeing these little/grand miracles. From a rather disgustingly looking (not always) caterpillar - nature's beauty :) unfolds to a beautiful butterfly.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cyclo Zone

Image
  Cyclo - a traditional type of pedi-cab in Vietnam. (2016) It came as part of a tour package. We indulged our weary feet with the slow "cyclo" ride around the historic old quarter of Hanoi, and to provide our driver the employment. The  narrow,  bustling streets were crowded with motor bikes, almost non-existent side walks, people selling their wares or engaged in conversation around tiny plastic table sets while having Vietnamese coffee or tea.  It was curious how the streets were still organized -- named by product. One street might sell different types of string and yarn (Yarn Street), another street sells only picture frames, another books, another spices, and so on. If one shop didn't carry what you needed, they directed you to one down their street that might have it. This ancient system was efficient for someone in the market for a specific item. But, it also seemed in the spirit of cooperation rather than competition -- to help the client and to help each bu...
Read more

Flower Moon

Image
  Walking on the Moon -- our feet eclipse the giant moon installation at St. John's Cathedral in Saskatoon, Sept, 2023. We've had our eyes to the skies of late. A few weeks ago we were fortunate to be in a location where we experienced the solar eclipse. Then, the recent geomagnetic storm that swept over the earth created beautiful auroras, causing skies to sparkle and dance with colour at lower latitudes than usual. Witnessing these events fills us with wonder and awe. Here we are in this small place on our planet, marvelling at the grand cycles of an infinite universe.    Traditionally, many of us consider the passing of May's full moon to be the gardeners' go-ahead.  A quick search led me to the date for the next full moon, May 23rd. What I also discovered was that there is a name for each month's full moon, and these names vary from culture to culture. I like that our Indigenous peoples refer to May as having the Flower Moon , to signify the flowers that bloom t...
Read more

Step Up

Image
Stairs in Mount Tolmie Park in Victoria, BC 2024 You've likely heard of Blue Zones --  5 specific areas in Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, Italy, and California.  They are places where people live happily with extreme longevity and few health conditions. They do many things 'right' without even trying, through their diet, exercise, and often gardening.  After living for 3 1/2 weeks on an extremely rugged island in the Aegean sea in Greece, without a vehicle,  I've come to believe one of the most effective* forms of exercise is to climb stairs (or hills). Our accommodations were perched high on a steep hill, requiring us to walk down into town and back up at least once a day. Huff-puffing our way up with hearts pounding, we thought we might keel over, lest we stop for breaks at least 3 times. We lost count of how many actual steps  -- 300+. Some days it felt a little easier, but it was always a challenging leg and cardio workout.  STAIR STATS reveal they are less...
Read more