I'm too sad. Here's how it went.
They were ready! You know they were crazy caterpillars. Well, they were even crazier butterflies.
Here they are enjoying the last of the sugar water I set out for them.
He's totally enjoying the nectar from the flower I'm holding.
See his proboscis? (You can totally click on the images to biggen them) It's acting as a straw to retrieve the nectar from the center of the flower.
On the sugar soaked cotton ball, she was not ready to leave.
She stayed there for a good 10 minutes before she flew the coop and joined her four other friends in the great big world.I was so sad letting them go. I didn't want to do it.
But Fa was ready and I knew if I showed her that I was hesitant, she might get worried. So, I told her I was sad but it was what we had to do. They deserved to live a free life and since we raised them, it was now time to set them off.
Besides, I wasn't dealing with 5 butterfly corpses by the end of this week. That would have thrown me over the edge.
Thank you for joining us on this amazing journey. We'll do it again next year!
what a bittersweet ending to this fabulous journey!
ReplyDeletei was gonna ask how you could tell the difference between males and females (you were so specific about the use of your gender pronouns), but then i realized ... glamorous males, plain-jane females.
nature sucks that way! ;-)
It's been neat to watch - ours are just now hanging and getting ready to build the chrysalis. 4 of them anyway.. the 5th hasn't made his "J" yet but I think he probably will by the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteOur ladybugs are doing well too.
awww they grow so fast!!!
ReplyDeleteYour a good mama letting them go ...
awww they grow so fast!!!
ReplyDeleteYour a good mama letting them go ...
You are such a great mom! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletethat is very cool, and how amazingly fun!!!!
ReplyDeleteHurray for the butterflies! Five days really? I had no idea. No, I wouldn't be able to handle that either. But I'm definitely doing this next year. The Queen will love it. They're all excited about tadpoles, so this will be even better.
ReplyDeleteAwwww
ReplyDeleteThey're probably in NYC paying too much for rent for a one bedroom studio.
They'll be calling next week asking to borrow money
I think you did the right thing in letting them go. Butterflies = happy. Dead butterflies = not so much.
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you and Fa.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I don't want to look at the proboscis. That sounds kinda dirty. :)
Well, I'm glad to hear that Fa was there to set a good example and encourage you to be strong!!
ReplyDeleteGreat job. I will look forward to next year's group.
They are so fascinating and beautiful!
ReplyDeletedevilishsouthernbelle.net | email
I don't blame you for being sad...I think I would miss them too. I think what you told Fa was the best way to handle it..and I can't say I blame you for not wanting to deal with corpses..
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!!!
These pictures are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI went to a wedding a few years ago, where they released butterflies. It was horrific. Hundreds of them fell to the ground and were stepped on. Made me sad.
That made me think of some of the bugs from "A Bug's Life". They were at the flea circus and one of them said, "I only got 24 hours to live....and I aint wasting them here!" (hee-hee)
ReplyDeleteIt is always so hard to see your babies all grown up and leaving the nest.....or butterfly garden...whichever it may be!
I was sad too when we let ours go. The cool thing though was we saw two of the butterflies flying around the location we set them free for several days after. Or at least we want to believe that it was them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory and tradition for you and Fa.
I wonder if the one I saw on my back porch early this spring was the result of another child's butterfly experience.
ReplyDeleteGood job!
JJ,
ReplyDeleteawh, this was so fun to see the progression along the way. but i most liked seeing the outcome of their results today. thanks for sharing the journey. you made me smile, kathleen