The Butterfly Chronicles - Part VII

What a weekend!

I got off of work early on Friday afternoon. There was a butterfly waiting for me when I got home, which didn't really surprise me, as I figured they'd start coming out on Thursday, based on the 13 days it took the first two.

We took the terrarium out back and watched our butterfly fly off into the blue sky. I always get choked up when they fly off. I guess I feel a little possessive, but am so happy when they fly away. I make sure thank them for letting us take care of them, and then warn them to look out for birds and spiderwebs. :) What can I say? I may be turning into a bit of a tree hugger.

We brought the terrarium into the house, and I noticed a chrysalis that looked like it was about ready to go. I could see the spots on the wings through the shell, and thought, "Ah-ha! I'm going to FINALLY catch one so I can get pictures. I sat there for four hours. Nothing.

I got up yesterday a little bit before 7:00. I raced out to the dining room, and found the chrysalis I thought would do its thing the previous day still intact. I alternated between the table and the t.v. (watching the news) and then settled down at the table again. Then I ran out of coffee, so I got up and poured myself another cup. I doctored it up, and turned around and danged if there wasn't a butterfly in the terrarium. Ok, fine. I took a couple of pictures, but they looked a lot like the pictures that I took last week, so I didn't post them here. I went back for another cup of coffee, and turned back, and there was ANOTHER butterfly. I was batting a thousand. We let the two go around 10:00 yesterday morning. The first one flew to our Bradford Pear tree, and sat there for a while, so I took some pictures, which are the first two of this entry.

So I figured, ok, that's it for today. Got some of my chores done, and then decided to go out and clean the pool. About an hour in, I needed to get something to drink, so I went inside, and found yet another butterfly. I sighed, and thought, "I give up..." I was so looking forward to actually getting images of the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis, but hadn't been that lucky, yet.

This morning, I wanted to sleep in. Okay, I TRIED to sleep in, but no go. So I went into the kitchen for coffee and found a chrysalis just as black as could be. I just KNEW that it would be yielding a butterfly before too long. (Note to self: Butterfly time is NOT equal to human time, and that "flurry of activity" is not a phrase that one would use in reference to caterpillars, pupas, and butterflies, ha ha.)

So after about three hours of perching on a dining room chair in my nightshirt, I noticed that the last caterpillar went into the pupal stage. It was fascinating to watch from start to finish. I recorded video on my blackberry, but it doesn't really take the best video in low light. I put it on youtube, so if you want to check it out, you will find it below.

I ate some breakfast, drank some more coffee, checked my facebook via cell phone, played some hand-held Yahtzee, and was about to call it a day (it had been almost five more hours sitting at the table) around noon...and then it happened. Tim took video with my phone, and I shot pictures.

The following are the best of the best:

Here is the low-light video of the cat going into the pupal stage:

We recorded video on my blackberry, but it doesn't really take the best video in low light. I put it on youtube, so if you want to check it out, it is; the video of the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis (thanks to my son Tim for catching the blackberry so fast):