This posting is for my faithful fellow blogger, Flighty. In his blog (https://flightplot.wordpress.com), he has occasionally mentioned the Peacock Butterfly. In fact, his photograph of one made me familiar with its beautiful wing markings and made me wish that I would some day see one. This was very unlikely because it is a European butterfly and, as far as I knew, was not to be found in North America.
Well ...
In late July I was strolling through the Montreal Botanical Gardens looking for anything to photograph and I came to a bush with lovely purple flowers with butterflies fluttering in large numbers all over it! I saw Painted Lady butterflies and Red Admiral butterflies and then I noticed something unusual. I went in close and saw to my astonishment, the butterfly that Flighty has blogged about! It was gorgeous.
In getting photographs I stalked this poor creature to the point that it finally perched high up in a tree and I'm sure it was giving me a stern butterfly glare!
After doing some reading on-line I have since found out that an individual Peacock butterfly was first recorded in the Montreal area in 1997 and, in the twenty years hence, less than two dozen have been recorded in eastern Canada.
Here is an interesting article: http://m.espacepourlavie.ca/blogue/en/a-european-butterfly-quebec
Thank you Flighty for introducing me to this beautiful butterfly and thus making my sighting all the more exciting!
If you recall, I wrote a post in April of last year in which I mourned the loss of a heart-shaped stone which my Dad had given me several years ago: http://dorispotter.blogspot.ca/2016/04/losing-my-heart.html
Well, I am very happy to say that I have found it! It was in my purse all this time (but deep within a zippered pocket). I really don't know how I didn't find it when I was searching everywhere - including my purse (where I had originally put it)!
The unusual thing is that I had had a very interesting conversation with an artist/photographer earlier that day and she is known for "seeing" hearts in nature (for example, the way tree branches arc together).
In fact, she showed me a beautiful image she captured of her reflection in a heart-shaped puddle and a series of photographs of a candle flame in which there is a clear image of a red heart at the center of the flame. That very night I happened to go to my purse to retrieve earrings I had put in the pocket and lo and behold pulled out my precious stone heart!
I am thrilled to feel its cool, smooth surface again. :-)
On my way for breakfast this morning, I came across several writings on the sidewalks and intersections in my neighbourhood that touched me.
In a two block area, someone named Flakito poured out his heart to someone named Lucille (a.k.a. Blue, a.k.a. Boo Boo) asking for forgiveness.
Some of the words had letters that seemed to fall off the edge of the sidewalks, one ("Do I still ...") was left unfinished, some were poetic, all were passionate and one was profane.
Although I don't know the order in which they were written, I have given them an order here. The ones that might not be legible have captions.
Love
Hate
Desire
Pain
I had a rainbow but I was color blind
I miss you Boo Boo (heart)
One Last Chance Lucille - Flakito
Hold your Hand One Last time on this walkway
Do I still
Blue and Flakito through Life
