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You may have discovered, as I have, that, often, the best gifts are surprises…and free. Nature is generous in its gift-giving, and we were recently gifted the experience of witnessing a caterpillar affix itself to our house’s siding, form a chrysalis, and – amazingly – emerge from that chrysalis! What luck to be present to see that newly-hatched butterfly working on unfurling its wings.
Continue reading “Haiku: Pre-Flight Check”
It’s been a banner year for the elderflowers (sadly, the same can’t be said for some other flowers and plants, like the day lilies that fizzled out early, probably due to the dry conditions), and visions of a bumper crop of elderberries – and elderberry syrup and wine – dance in my head. If those visions become reality, I have pollinators like this tiny bee to thank. And I wholeheartedly do thank them!
I’m always happy to see our pollinator friends, but am particularly grateful now for the perspective they provide. When I’m mired in the seemingly inescapable “deep thoughts”, these hard-working creatures remind me that it’s important to focus on both the philosophical and the quotidian. Be well.
Butterflies may not yet have made their appearance, but some moths have…like this softly-colored White-Spotted Sable. Butterflies may get all the glory, but I think you’ll agree that this moth is lovely in its own right.
Want to know more about the differences between moths and butterflies (and see “crepuscular” in action)? Check out this post by the Library of Congress.
As the weather’s grown cooler here, I wonder how long the butterflies and bees will be around. Few flowers still remain, mostly what people would consider to be “weeds”, like thistle and a low-growing bush with miniscule white flowers. Pesky to some, these are important food sources for pollinators.
What will the world be like
When there are no more bees, trees, or frogs?
When scorched earth is our reality
And we breathe in choking smog?
We continue to generate scads of plastic waste
Build mansions of questionable taste
Kill off species at a unimaginable pace –
Are we proud we’ve trashed this place?
What awaits our children now?
Are clear blue skies and lakes unicorns?
Are we considering the future for mankind
As even more of us are born?
I asked you to recycle your plastic
And put your cardboard in the nearby bin
You laughed at me for having asked it,
And I knew, sadly, that I would not win.
There just aren’t enough who care
Plenty who talk the talk but won’t walk the walk
And plenty who are aware
And deluding themselves about this epoch:
Glaciers melting, record heat,
Dirty air, algal blooms, CAFO meat,
Tech “reality,”, rainforest burning…
But the world keeps turning.
Right?
For those who refuse to accept
What’s in front of their faces
Soon, differences won’t matter,
Like political affiliations, religions, races…
We’ll be struggling to survive
On the world we’ve taken for granted
And abused, neglected, and plundered
And we’ll reap the terrible harvest we’ve planted –
Because not enough of us care, you see,
About anything other than “me”,
Even though the world must operate as “we”…
And so much depends on the flight of the bee.