Happy Birthday, Butterfly! Bon Voyage!

My husband and I have been gone most of the days this week, and apparently we missed the big eclosure. This morning, I turned the yard cart over to check on our one monarch chrysalis. (We had two, including one way up high, but that high-up one is looking kind of weird and brown, and I don't think that one is going to make it.)

But when I turned the yard cart over, all I saw was an empty crystalline looking chrysalis, shining out like a lamp in the sun. The butterfly was gone! It eclosed and flew off while we were away!

I brought Tiny Tiger out to bear witness, as he was one of the first to visit our chrysalis that day I first found it. And we might have cried a little. Because it was a miracle, and it was wonderful, and well worth celebrating.

But also because it was something beautiful to watch, and we missed it, and perhaps this will have been our only brand-new fresh butterfly. And maybe even because the other one isn't doing so well. But yes, we shed a tear or two, Tiny Tiger and me.

But mostly, we rejoiced! Happy birthday, butterfly! Bon voyage! The miracle happened, even though we didn't get to see the whole thing. We have contributed a new monarch butterfly to the cause. 

Fly strong, sweet butterfly!

Our soundtrack song is the Eagles, with Already Gone, some of whose lyrics appear below.

But me, I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing (I will sing) this victory song
'Cause I'm already gone
Yes, I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this victory song
'Cause I'm already gone