23rd July 2024 . It was a very wet morning and I quite like overnight rain because it saves dragging the hose around and freshens up the flowers. This morning though, it would have been much better had it not been so wet. There has been a d… | By Yetismith on July 24, 2024 | 23rd July 2024 . It was a very wet morning and I quite like overnight rain because it saves dragging the hose around and freshens up the flowers. This morning though, it would have been much better had it not been so wet. There has been a developing story that I did not disclose, fearing that I would tempt fate. There have been previous disappointments... . July 19th as I did my morning rounds, I came upon a chrysalis attached to the side of the house. Against a white background, it's hard to miss something like this, especially since I know to look for them. Clearly, we had both missed it and for at least a couple of days. If you look, you can see wings forming! The wings are plain to see when you have the photograph magnified in front of you, but I'd taken it and downloaded the image without examining it, convinced the chrysalis must be brand new. . So this morning when I stooped to look, I was surprised by what I saw. "You must take a look!" I told Grant at breakfast It was raining hard so we dawdled. . Finally, we rallied our act and as usual, I went back outside momentarily where I was surprised to find... ...an empty shell! I'd not realised things were that far along! . Right outside our door and we had missed the big event. But Monarchs don't just pop out and fly away, that much I knew. Where was it? . Oh no! There it was clinging on to the moulding. It had obviously dropped straight out into the very wet morning, which was most unfortunate timing. . It was a very wet butterfly, hanging on to a very slippery surface. Not good! . Three years ago, I'd seen a Monarch birth. That one had been attached to a leaf in the Siberian cabbages and it had crawled slowly out onto a nice dry and secure surface where it went through a whole sequence of unfurling its wings and testing out its miraculous new body. . Imagine going to sleep like this and waking up with massive wings. They aren't human, so they don't think: "Crikey! What's this?!" . It would certainly take me more than twenty minutes to convince myself I could fly. This poor creature had fallen into a hostile, wet world. We needed to do something! Which is all very well to say, but butterflies may be the most fragile of all creatures one may be prevailed upon to assist. It is a very delicate matter. Grant's initial instinct was to leave it up to Nature. Which I would agree if the butterfly was not on a nasty artificial surface and soaking wet. Not to mention exposed. . Grant went to deal with my abandoned breakfast dishes while I pondered this problem. One thing I could do without hesitation was protect the butterfly from the rain while at the same time shielding it from predators. So I placed myself strategically over it. There being no gutters, rain drips or cascades directly off the roof. Consequently I was soon very wet myself, but at least I wasn't going to have to fly anywhere. The man finally came back out and located a stick which gave the butterfly purchase. . Fine, it had a stick to hang on to, but I was not ready to abandon my vigil. For all I know the butterfly was wishing I would do just that. Leave it to sort itself out in peace without an audience. A great lump of a human being cannot possibly conceive of what it must be like to be such a delicate creature. But I was determined, I had to give it a fighting start. . The rain had fortunately tapered off, but under the overhand the roof would continue to drip. So I decided to move the butterfly on its stick inside the cage which stands on the patio. One of many poor ideas we've had in our endless quest to keep cats happy and safe. The butterfly could dry out undisturbed. . By now I had been sitting and kneeling in wet clothes for a while so I allowed myself to be persuaded to go in and change and have a cup of tea. My protege would not be leaving yet. . Without waiting too long, I went to check and found the creature testing out its new equipment. . It was on the inside of the bars... ..but this was not an issue... . "You think because I've got a tiny brain I'm not smart?" . Things were looking good for imminent take-off. . But not yet. I couldn't see it until I blew the pictures up, but the wings were still not quite dry. . The butterfly was pulling itself up the bars of the cage. Perhaps for a better launching point? I captured it on video but since my last battle in which I thought I had achieved victory...not on your life. No, no, no! What worked then is not available now. And though I really hate to be defeated, does it make any sense at all to spend hours fighting for a video of less than 60 seconds? . My poor little friend made it just so far but then kept slipping back and its body was suddenly inside. This did not look good, so I picked up the stick. . Whether it was grateful or not, I can't say, but it climbed aboard quickly. Now I had a dry butterfly on a stick. . Not yet ready to fly. What to do? Perhaps I should have sat there with it until it was ready. There are certainly worse ways to spend time. But I couldn't be sure how long it would be or whether the butterfly wished to be alone when it took off. . Back inside the cage, I lodged the stick safely in a lofty position that I thought would be suitable. Every five minutes or so, I stuck my head out the door to check and finally, the butterfly had flown. It would have been nice to see it go but I'd given it lots of blessings and farewell waves are a bit sad. | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment