It’s been about a week since I’ve seen any of the monarch caterpillars on the milkweed in the hosta patch. I found one dead, but I can imagine others survived to become a chrysalis.
If I knew where to look and I trained my eye to see them, I know they would magically appear. But, for now, they are hidden to me.
Yet still, I have every expectation that one day I’ll be sewing, and out my studio window a monarch butterfly will be feeding the zinnias that grow there.
We had 3-4 caterpillars about the same time you saw yours. The they vanished. Two days later I found one on its back being eaten by a beetle which was very sad. Then ten days ago I suddenly found a chrysalis on the yucca right by the front door. I watched it nervously because last year the only chrysalis we had turned black and died. Yesterday morning the current chrysalis has changed and I could see wings forming. I figured another day or so. After lunch I was escorting a flying insect out of the house and glanced down…OMG! The butterfly had flown! I had only been out shortly before so I just missed the launch, but there was the butterfly doing a happy dance across the grass as if to say “I made it! look at me!” I’ve seen chrysalis on the siding of the house and the one two years ago was in the Siberian tea. I saw it making its way up through the leaves, standing nervously as if getting up its courage before it launched. I found it very emotional and wonderful.
Oh that’s very exciting Carolyn. Thanks so much for sharing your monarch story! I can imagine it being very moving to see. 🙂