Friday, November 25, 2011

Butterfly Kisses

The weather here has been spectacularly sunny, ranging from 82 degrees F. to 94 degrees F. in the last week.  Come on out to the back patio area. It's breathtakingly glorious with the late blooming flowers.






We've had a recent outbreak of something particularly lovely: butterflies.


They've inundated us out of nowhere, like a flash mob at the mall. If you walk through the bushes where they've emerged from their cocoons, they will flutter closely around you, as if to adorn you with themselves.







They're really a playful group. There are monarchs, and yellow ones, and orange ones, and even some blue and black ones. I don't have all their proper names- we're on a nickname basis with each other right now.







They love all the different types of flowers.








Many of them anchored their cocoons by this bush when they were lowly caterpillars.







They like flowers of all colors; they don't discriminate.







They don't mind closeups, either.








You have to look closely at this one. If you start with the big black one on the left, there are many more hidden in the flowers as you work your way across to the right. Some of those that look like yellow leaves are really butterflies.



It's really a wondrous thing, to be standing still and suddenly be engulfed by a plethora of butterflies, every color imaginable, who have made you the center of their orbit.

So, if you are one of my blogging friends who are already into the cold weather, I'm sending a little bit of warm weather beauty your way.

It would be nice to get some cooler weather, but that would also mean our butterfly friends would leave, too. So, we enjoy what we have, when we have it.

Happy weekend, friends!

Special thanks to Teenaged Daughter, who took most of these pictures today.

22 comments:

  1. Oh, thank you for the little bit of heaven today!! I love all the pretty flowers and butterflies, that last picture is amazing!! I clicked on it and it's just beautiful.

    Wow a world apart....about 50 degrees here today, which is unseasonably warm for MN, cold coming tomorrow...which means more snow....

    Snow is always fun, but only at first...we long for the warm spring days and summer days filled with butterflies!

    (at least I do!)
    Thanks for the beauty again!

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  2. I love butterflies and these pictures were so clear and beautiful. Hope you have a great weekend too.

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  3. What a fascinating phenomenon, Shelly! Isn't nature spectacular? I can't imagine staying depressed while being engulfed by dozens of colorful fluttering butterflies. It's like taking a love shower. I have various species of butterflies in my garden but not in great numbers like these. Here in Central Florida the daytime high has been holding steady in the 80s which is better than the hot and humid 90s but still a little disappointing to those of us who would like to experience a cool refreshing seasonal change. Thank you and thank your daughter for showing us these beautiful, gentle creatures and have a wonderful weekend, Shelly!

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  4. Jamie: Wow- 50 is unseasonably warm? I'd already be in hibernation! :) I hope the cold weather isn't bothering you too much- you don't have much longer to go!

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  5. Shady: Nature's wonders beat man's wonders any day. I know cool weather will be hitting all of us in the southern climes before too long- and then we will wonder where the warm stuff is! (At least I will!) Happy weekend!

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  6. Those are great pictures of the butterflies!! I'm with you about the warm weather; it is supposed to be in the 80s the next few days. Not complaining :)

    betty

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  7. Beautiful photos! I found that black butterfly interesting. We have those little yellow ones here in the summer. They look so delicate. The flowers are lovely. It was quite warm today - above zero, so we were all saying what a hot day it was today! Have a lovely Saturday, Shelly.

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  8. Yes, thank you teenage daughter! Your photos are lovely. Butterflies really are very special, aren't they? How lovely to be still getting that lovely warm weather. Your patio area looks very peaceful. Thank you for sending that little bit of warmth over here to a chilly England!

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  9. Betty: Yes- we will enjoy this weather while we can because soon enough it will be cold!

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  10. Belle: Oh, reading of your warmth up there makes me shiver! Stay warm, my friend! Enjoy your "hot" day-

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  11. Thisisme: We are enjoying the warmth while we can because soon it will be gone. These monarchs migrate south to Mexico, so we expect even more of them to be coming through. Butterfly heaven, indeed!

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  12. So beautiful! I get really excited when we have butterflies in our yard. It seems like for so many years you hardly saw any, but in more recent years I've seen an upsurge. They're so lovely.

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  13. Karen: We've seen a big upsurge in them, too, in the last few years. I LOVE watching them, too!

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  14. Ahhhh....I miss those warm winter days of the deep South! Although we hit 70 today so I shouldn't complain. Beautiful photos...teenaged daughter done you proud, as the saying goes!

    Have a lovely Sunday...
    many hugs~

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  15. Suah: Much as we complain about the heat, it is nie to have beautiful days now. Glorious Sunday to you, my friend!

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  16. Oh my God ! They are so prtetty, specially against the blue flowers. Thanks for posting them. I could use a little bit of soothing effect after two busy days at work. Hi, this is Munir over here at Focus. I hope you guys had a lovely Thanksgiving.

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  17. Munir: I thought they were lovely, too! Hope you get to re-energize yourself this weekend- have a good evening!

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  18. Beautiful pictures, Shelly! And your patio looks wonderful, too. What a pleasure it must be to sit out there in such fine weather and enjoy the unexpected gift of butterflies!

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  19. Dr. Kathy: It is such a peaceful place to be, and at night, there are soft lights that ring it and it makes such a lovely glow.

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  20. Oh, Dear Shelly!
    I really am sorry not to have had time to visit earlier.
    How beautiful these flowers and butterflies are♡♡♡
    Enlarged pictures are so Gorgeous!!!
    Thank you very much for the wonderful time during the busy days... p;)
    Visiting relatievs and students term test and so on.
    Love and Lots of Hugs to you, xoxo Orchid*

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  21. Orchid: Thank you for taking time in all the business of this time of the year to stop by! I love to look at beautiful flowers and butterflies- I never get tired of them!

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