Our Painted Ladies

Over the last two weeks we have been watching with great curiosity the metamorphosis of 5 caterpillars.  These little guys found their way to us through the US Postal Service during Hurricane Irene, thus explaining why some of them had already begun making their chrysalis when they arrived.  We watched very closely the slow and steady transformation from caterpillar to butterfly and then finally one day last week, during guided relaxation, the first butterfly emerged.  We totally missed seeing this first one emerge, but just as slow and steadily as they went into their chrysalis, they emerged as beautiful painted ladies!

Last Friday we took our treasured butterflies to the Butterfly Garden at the Minot Sleeper Library and introduced them into their new world.  We all marveled at how as soon as we went out the door at school and the butterflies entered the fresh fall air, they began to fly about in the netting and spread their wings.  As soon as we released them they found their way to the flowers.  A few of the wise butterflies, quickly found their way to the warm bricks of the library building itself, basking in the morning sun.  We hope to see signs of these butterflies when we visit the library next week, but we understand if the fall temperatures make them start their journey south.