metamorphosis

last week C was doing some work out in the pasture chopping down thistles when he found an interesting caterpillar. we couldn't identify it but figured it must eat thistles. C provided some and put the caterpillar in a container, but it was not interested in eating. in fact, we wondered if it was dead the way it curled up at the bottom of the jar. but the next morning we found it like this:

hanging in a J making chrysalis

we were actually able to watch it shed its skin for the last time, revealing the chrysalis underneath. it only takes a few minutes after it begins to turn.

it hung in our kitchen for about a week, until we noticed on saturday that a butterfly had replaced the chrysalis. too bad we missed it emerging.

first nectar

C with his painted lady butterfly before releasing it.

everyday gift: witnessing the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly