Snowy Speculations

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If I could paint, I would have tried to replicate the landscape very early this morning. Illuminated by the faintest hints of light and hours before sunrise, the cold, stark landscape lay completely still in its snowy blanket. Naked trees stood proudly and quietly against this backdrop, this palate of pure white an unforgiving place for any creature, big or small, to attempt to cross without drawing attention to its existence at this time. Even our ancient tire swing looked sleepy and droopy, suspended precariously close to the ground, as if the effort of hanging from a tree limb was too much for it. To the east, the only rays of light visible were the ones coming from the across the river, and even those seem hushed and muffled, like a child tired and murmuring not to wake them up just yet.  The young families down the road have gone all out with Christmas lights this year. Bright colours adorn the night skies and my neighbours even have a Christmas Cat and a Christmas Dinosaur that i
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The Great Butterfly Rescue!

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The Great Butterfly Rescue!    


After I had let the dogs out this morning and stayed with them on coyote patrol as they explored by the forest's edge, I eyed my empty clothesline and thought what a perfect day it was to hang out some clothes to dry. I grabbed a load from the washing machine, filled a basket and headed outside. After setting it on the platform, I went into the back garage to see if I could uncover my basket of clothespins from last year, hoping that no little inhabitants had made their winter home there. 
    As I opened the heavy door, my attention was immediately drawn to a strange whirring sound by the east window. Very carefully I moved the stack of Amazon boxes that had collected there apres-Christmas and started as an unexpected brown blob threw itself against the window, frantically scrambling back and forth.
    The butterfly, I assumed it was one from the long, thin antennae and wing formation, kept getting caught in the old, dirty webbing that pulled it back like a bungee cord as it scurried up and down the window looking for an exit. I grabbed an old rake and tried to gingerly guide it away from the window to the open door a few feet away. But it was so worked up that it refused to be helped. My kids are way past the age of having butterfly nets from the dollar store, but I rushed around the very full garage looking for something that may have been left over from their childhood. To no avail.
    I ran inside the house to the kitchen and looked for an appropriate bowl and grabbed a piece of paper from my office. Then I rushed back to see if I could coax it under the bowl and lead it to freedom. 
    When I got back, the garage was strangely quiet and the window, filthy from years of built-up grime, showed no sign of my winged friend. Gingerly I began moving boxes by the window beside it and screamed as the butterfly resurrected and flung itself wildly at the window again. 
    I went into action. As gently as I could, I placed the  bowl over the frantic critter and slid the paper underneath. I finally captured it and ran outside, precious treasure in hand, as the butterfly hurled itself around and finally escaped through the side where the paper did not quite cover the top. At amazing speed, it flew up, up and away. In less than a few seconds I had lost sight of my little rescue. I hope it made it to the safety of some place where it could rest up and regain the energy it had lost in its battle against the window. 
    Now there is a bit of a backstory as to why I consider this butterfly rescue a big deal! Even the memory of accompanying my kids to the Butterfly Conservatory with their kindergarten classes (many years ago) has me shuddering to this day. I did NOT want a butterfly landing on me, regardless of how beautiful and rare it was. Even thinking of the damp, humid smell of the conservatory still fills me with some kind of horror to this day. 
    But today I was a hero in my own eyes as I overcame any past prejudices and did what I had to do.  I even had a chance to take a quick picture of it which I sent to my friend, Elizabeth, to identify. Within minutes, she let me know that today's subject was a Compton Tortoiseshell! The butterfly had probably gotten stored in the garage tucked into some piece of furniture or flowerpot over the winter. Today's warmth had coaxed it into the beautiful creature it had become and I wanted to make sure it got the chance to survive and enjoy the spring weather outside. 
    So while my laundry is happily drying in the wind, I hope that our Compton Tortoiseshell is enjoying its newfound freedom and the sunshine as well!

Lolita Schimann Hale
 

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