Monarch butterflies are some of my favorite winged creatures, and during mid to late summer in these parts more and more emerge. Daily I see many wafting through my yard, alongside the riverbluffs and cruising through the countryside in what seems like effortless flight. Not only are they incredibly beautiful, their migration and life cycle stories are amazing. According to sources, monarchs exhibit the most highly evolved migration pattern of any known species of butterfly or moth and perhaps any known insect. Monarchs spend winters in the mountainous forests of Mexico and migrate during warm-weather months to the USA in order to feed (largely on milkweed) and reproduce. To think of this creature traveling that distance is, to say the least, inspiring and peaceful as I look to the rhythms of nature for tranquility in otherwise seemingly turbulent times.
"Butterflies... flowers that fly and all but sing."
--Robert Frost
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