The White Whale ...

... that was really blue.

The Blue Morpho is an elusive thing. It's very well camouflaged with its wings folded up and they only unfold to immediately take off and flutter out of sight at high speed.
Meijer Gardens was filled with Morpho Hopefuls today, like me. I've been trying for a few years now with no success whatsoever, and it was somehow reassuring to find other people with nice (or nicer) cameras being just as unsuccessful. The circumstances don't help; it's crowded, dark, warm and humid in the Butterfly Area, plus you have to watch where you walk as you could step on a small child, a butterfly or a baby quail at any second.
The Morpho Hopefuls are easily recognised - they bunch together with cameras poised and ready, aimed at what looks like a big brown leaf. There will be much concentration, some wise-cracking, a lot of shutter noises and ultimately sighs of disappointment when the Blue Morpho takes off and everyone has missed it.

Today, though, I got lucky. Twice. Hurray!

We wandered around the Sculpture Park, sat down a LOT and I even tried to get a nap in - it was all so very delightful.


Then on the way home we drove to our neighbouring town of Gobles where last night a severe fire burned down 3 businesses downtown. After 15 hours they were still looking for hot spots and it all looked so very, very sad. Fortunately, no people were hurt but it still left me feeling bleh :/

I want a Morpho to remember today by though.