Butterflies

Two weeks ago Stacy and Mckee brought home caterpillars and some milkweed tops.  What now?  We have had more bugs as pets than I can believe.  So what's three more.  We put them in a container and the next day one was hanging up side down.  Okay, maybe they do that.  Come on I don't know.  Grandma what is he doing now?  Can someone help me?  What is he doing now?  This went on for 10 minutes then she went outside.  We returned an hour later to find the caterpillar was now a chrysalis.  We were all in awe.  It wove a perfect green chrysalis with gold dots on it.  Only one more to go.  We will watch this one.  Yep, you guessed it.  Once again we went out and there was another caterpillar turned into a chrysalis.  How long will they be that way?  Till they are ready to hatch! 

The one chrysalis that they brought home hatched and we found the butterfly and put it on the flowers and watched it fly away.  Two weeks later we noticed they were turning dark.  Now I knew they were ready to hatch.  We could see the orange of the wings.  All of a sudden the chrysalis split down the side.  It had an audience of four cheering it on.  Little by little it broke out of its covering.  It was so small.  Soon it's wings started to grow.  It was awesome to sit and watch this miracle happening right in front of our eyes.   Within an hour it was the normal size of a monarch butterfly.  It says to leave it alone for hours and let it go when it is warmer.  It was 50 degrees that night.  Too cold.  Under 60 degrees it can't fly.

Today is the day the butterflies will be let go.  I waited till it was warmer out.  When I picked up the lid they both flew around the yard in circles to show us they were free and able to do this.  After a few rounds they both flew off, never to be seen by us again.  What a beautiful sight to watch.  I was so glad that Mckee was here to share the birth of a monarch butterfly.