As a recap, this was a heartfelt gift from the employees of Lubrizol Corporation, my employer. Along with the stone highlighted a few posts ago, this completes their gift to us and together they anchor a new butterfly garden in our back yard. So, have we ever told you our butterfly story? Well...
Each Fall the Monarch butterflies east of the Rockies migrate 2,500 miles south to the Sierra Madre Mountains, east of Mexico City. They go south until they reach the Gulf Coast and veer towards Mexico. During the Fall of 2007 (pre-Batten signs) we were enjoying a gorgeous, brisk day at the beach house. We loaded into the Jeep, wrapped Emma in a blanket and headed out on the beach to play. Once there, we realized there were thousands- make that millions- of Monarch butterflies cruising West down the beach. I wish I could adequately paint this picture for you...a deep blue sky- the kind you look so deep into that you think you see blackness- serving as a back drop for a column of Monarch's 30 yards wide and as high as you could focus your eyes! We spent the next few hours racing and chasing butterflies. Luke can officially outrun a butterfly, sort of. We ran and jumped through the air and rolled on the ground trying to catch them. And as a matter of fact, we actually caught three butterflies by hand that day. Exactly three. The kids all got to touch and hold each one before we let them go. It was a beautiful and inspiring day.
I have often wondered about the three Monarch butterflies that we held and released in 2007. I wonder what they went on to do after that day...
I think I know...
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