Beauty in Nature

I was taking photos this morning of rain drops on heather.  Frustrated with my lack of success, I decided to try raindrops on kowhai leaves instead.  When I turned to my kowhai I found this monarch had just recently hatched and was starting to dry out.  I was really pleased as I had given up hopes of the chysalis actually hatching and had assumed it had died in the colder weather.

I took a few photos of him while he was still a bit crumpled and was happy enough with them.  When I headed outside later to see if he was still there I found him on his side caught in the wet grass.  I don't know how he ended up there but it wasn't the best place for him so I picked him up and tried to get him back onto the tree.

It took a bit of encouraging - he seemed to like my finger better!

I love the way the proboscis is circled here - he'd just tried tasting my finger but it was obviously no use to him as a food source.  And the patterns in the eyeball fascinate me.

I went out much later and the good news is that he's still on the tree so I hope he will survive.

Today is Mothers Day in New Zealand (I don't know about elsewhere).  It is a day I find really hard nowadays, but all the same best wishes to all blippers who are Mums.  

I did have the pleasure of lunching with my Mum today, and though we carefully avoided talking about the day and what it meant to us, we understood.  Thanks for stopping on your way through town Mum.  Love you.

And my lovely sister, on her way back from Dunedin, stopped and took a photo of Blaze's cross for me for mother's day.  It meant a lot, and sure it made me cry, but it was very special and hey;  I was going to do some more crying anyway!  Thanks Leigh. Love you too.