May the wind always be at your back, M

This morning, SIL and I released M, a beautiful male monarch who's progress I've been privileged to record from egg to butterfly.  You first met M on 29 July when you got to see him eating his egg casing.  You got to see him again, 15 days later when he was a big, fat cat, just before he pupated on 14 August.  Twelve days later, he was waiting quietly in his enclosure for me to get up this morning.  We gave him several hours to get his zen on, then took him out to my new pollinator garden where SIL set him free. He soared over our heads against a clear blue sky before taking a perch high up in a hickory tree.  I will put another shot, showing him in his entirety in Extra.

I was honored to be able to release M in honor of a former blipper LeeJohnaire who many of you knew.  He lost his battle with esophageal cancer in February 2015, leaving behind his loving partner and wife who many of you also know, Texann.  She and I have been messaging for the past few days.  Today would have been Lee's birthday and we were both hoping that I'd have a butterfly ready to fly on this day.  That the butterfly was M made it that much more special.  So fly strong and true, M, and use these beautiful wings to eventually make your way to Texas next spring.  And if you happen to pass through Houston, be sure to pause overhead.

Cherish the people you love.

xo
Debbi