Miraculous

I was able to watch 3 monarch butterflies emerge from their chrysalises this morning, #108, 109, and 110.  Tomorrow, I expect four more to make their way into the world, and this is a photo of one of them.  The day before they "eclose" (emerge), their green chrysalis starts to become transparent and you can see the faint color of the wings as well as the antenna, proboscis and legs (if you know what to look for).  By tomorrow morning, there will be no green left on this chrysalis - it will be completely dark with the body and wings of the butterfly packed tightly within.  

If you'd like to see that magical moment when the butterfly starts to emerge from its chrysalis, I've posted a shot HERE on Flickr.  

I also found some other cool cats in my garden today, including several fuzzy little Fall Webworms, moving amazingly quickly, and what I believe is a Virginian Tiger Moth cat.  The latter was a nice surprise when I yanked out a weed and found him munching away.  Fall is a great time for moth cats as most overwinter as pupae here.  

Quick visit with MIL today. Her pain was okay, but still there.  Nurses are keeping a close eye on her and our next doc's appointment is tomorrow.  Here spirits were good and I left her having lunch with Ruby and Angelina.  As usual, I made my rounds and said quick hellos to some of the other residents whom I've come to know.  

Watching the news from the Caribbean with horror.  Wondering how much more they can withstand.  And wondering how many more monster hurricanes we will see this season...

xo
Debbi