A Close Encounter of the Fluttery Kind

This is a Mourning Cloak Butterfly.  I was on the back porch, and she came fluttering by, so I held out my hand and she landed right on it.  I walked around, looking at the damage to Auntie's Tree, and she rode along with me for nearly 10 minutes.  We had a lovely conversation.  Well, it was mostly one-sided, but she is a very good listener.  Mourning Cloak's are amazing insects.  They live for close to a year, leaving their chrysalis around the Summer Solstice.  They hibernate over the winter emerging when the days get over 50 degrees.  They are the first butterflies of spring and unlike other butterflies, they don't feed on flowers but on tree sap. They get their name from the legend that they are messengers from beyond the veil and with Mom's birthday yesterday, I will take that as a sign.  Here is a short video I made of her and before you ask, yes, she tickled as she explored my fingers!  Definitely a moment of common enchantment.