Two Pipevine Swallowtails at Greenwood Furnace

It has been very hot here, and there are the remnants of a hurricane on a path toward us; they say it will arrive in central PA on Wednesday. Sometimes when we get big storms, the swimming areas get closed down for a few days. So my husband and I decided that it was time for a chilly swim at Greenwood Furnace before all of that hits.

We parked near the blacksmith shop and walked over along the lake to the beach. I changed into my swimsuit in the bathhouse. We had a very nice swim and then showered, changed clothes, and walked back to our car. That stroll took us past a stand of native monarda, and we discovered two pipevine swallowtails - Battus philenor - that were feasting and playing there. 

The black on their backs was almost blue-black, and velvety, oh so touchable. I've only ever seen one at a time so far, so it was a real treat to see TWO on this hot summer day. I couldn't decide between these two soundtrack songs so here they both are: Alannah Myles, with Black Velvet, and Tina Turner and Rod Stewart, with It Takes Two.