The Golden Monarch

This past weekend, amidst the chaos of diet changing, workout benchmarking, and fun having, something amazing happened.  While this may not mean much to you, it was so significant to me. 


this is not my actual photo, but I did snap one that I'll upload soon

 As I walked up the front steps, sweaty after my workout, and arms filled with items from my big Costco trip, I saw a beautiful golden monarch fluttering around all of my flowers.  I actually have the exact flowers as the photo above which are the ones she was dancing around in.  It was amazing.  I was almost moved to tears.  I know, tears?  A bit extreme but I LOVE butterflies.  Something about them and their fragility combined with strength and vibrance just moves me.

I placed all of my groceries (all, because I always try to carry every bag and box at once to avoid the extra trip- dumb.) in the front yard and grabbed my camera from my purse to try to capture this beauty.  Again, these pictures are from Google Images, but I was so enthralled with my beautiful butterfly that I hesitated to snap a picture and scare her off or miss any part of her fluttering about.

My first year at Camp Boggy Creek, my friend Shanon and I ran the nature barn for the kids.  With the help of a willful nurse, we raised caterpillars that would one day become golden monarchs much like this:

We were there the morning that the amazing wrinkly and brand new monarchs emerged from their chrystalis' and began to flap their wings, ready for their first flight.  It was such an incredible experience for our campers and for us.  Shanon snapped pictures of the wet-winged butterflies landing on our campers heads and faces and shoulders while they practiced flying.  What a testament to mother nature and her gifts. 
Through doing some research and google searching, I have learned this:

The fourth generation of monarch butterflies is a little bit different than the first three generations. The fourth generation is born in September and October and goes through exactly the same process as the first, second and third generations except for one part. The fourth generation of monarch butterflies does not die after two to six weeks. Instead, this generation of monarch butterflies migrates to warmer climates like Mexico and California and will live for six to eight months until it is time to start the whole process over again.

It is amazing how the four generations of monarch butterflies works out so that the monarch population can continue to live on throughout the years, but not become overpopulated. Mother Nature sure has some cool ways of doing things, doesn’t she?  http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/
So my golden monarch must have been a 4th generation beauty preparing for her flight south to carry on her species.  Having read that makes me feel even more special that she visited my sweet flowers before her long journey.  Amazing!

There is something so inspiring and special about these beautiful butterflies.  Their transformation from crawling to flying.  Their need for both protection and freedom.  Their striking beauty, yet gentle flutter.  I could have sat on my front step and watched her float from blossom to blossom ALL DAY.  I wish she'd have stayed a while.  I look for her or her fellow 4th generation butterfly mates each day when I get home.  I believe they've begun their journey south for warmer climates.  Safe travels!

yours in awe,
whitney