One Brand New Perfect Monarch

There wasn't any fog out where we live, but it was thick with it in town. I had a quest in mind and I was not going to be daunted by the fog. My quest was to find the butterfly garden I've heard about at Tudek Park.

I visited the park for the first time in mid-August, and it was time to go back looking for monarchs. This is their season, you know. The migration has begun. Time to fly away!

The park was just gorgeous in the mist, and I found some new places I'll have to show you another day. I did put a photo in the extras of a pretty bench along a winding trail into the trees.

The park seems surprisingly quiet and peaceful for a place in the middle of town. My first real apartment after college in the late 80s was at Park Forest Apartments, not far from here. The park wasn't here then; it was all undeveloped farmland at the time.

I walked through the community gardens again, and this time the sunflowers were drooping, and cosmos and zinnia were in full bloom. I even spotted a round, orange pumpkin. Fall is coming!

I wasn't sure where the butterfly garden was. But I ended up at the dog park area, and I asked a woman there if she knew where the butterfly garden was. Of course, I needed to go to the exact OTHER end of the park to see the butterflies.

So that is what I did. I sogged through wet grass to get there, and wandered through a wonderful stand of trees with two benches overlooking a big foggy field. The light through those trees was glorious. I must go back there and watch the trees change.

And then I found it! The butterfly garden itself, proper! There was a sign, and there were little winding pathways through benches and even a scarlet maple in full autumn splendor. Yowza! And in the middle of everything, the flowers. Yes, a lovely stand of posies of all colors for the butterflies.

The milkweed plants were loaded with fat, sassy monarch caterpillars. I was photographing them, when I heard the flutter of wings! And suddenly there appeared in front of me, on the wild bergamot (monarda), the most lovely monarch butterfly!

It was freshly minted, brand new, and perfect. And hungry! (And female. Note the lack of the black spots on the hind wings that signify a male.) It sat on the purple flowers and ate and ate and ate.

It walked around on the plant. It flittered to another, tastier one. And I, with camera, well, I watched and snapped away, enchanted with my prize. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Welcome, wings of wonder. Welcome, brand new butterfly!

The soundtrack . . . I wanted the song to accompany this to be about perfection, and here is a very pretty one: Ed Sheeran, with Perfect.