(KK day)
My connection this month is so much more than a connection of the heart kind to the photo itself
and rather to an experience. This male Black Swallowtail debuted last week. Yes this has happened before,
but . . . this was different.
In fact it was nothing short of miraculous. You see, it was a chrysalis that looked much like this one
only it was on the frame of the butterfly enclosure and it had pupated there. . . 5. . . months ago!
And have I mentioned that the typical time frame for a swallowtail to emerge after pupation is more
like 2 weeks.
And honestly I think the only reason I noticed it was because I had put the Tersa Sphinx Moth caterpillars in the tent on a stalk of Pentas I cut from the plant, because they were eating faster than I could pick the leaves.
I had to wait a bit before releasing him outside as it was raining cats and dogs and after being asleep for 5 months I sure wanted to give him as much of a fighting chance as possible. It was last Thursday . . . and as soon as the monsoon rains stopped the skies parted and the sun came out. Heading out for a football game and knowing that we wouldn't be back until dark, I took him outside where he could rest until he was ready to take flight.
And much to my surprise, again, there he still was . . . completely covered in beautiful, sparkly, dew drops.
Right where I had left him. After a little photo shoot, he let me pick him up and I took him to a sunny spot on the trailing purple lantana to sun and dry himself. It wasn't long before he flew off.
Can you imagine if I had given up hope that he would ever emerge and removed it from the enclosure?
Yep, these photos, this happening, just remind me to not give up hope during those times when hope feels
lost. Not the hopeful "wishing" kind of hope, but the confident expectation . . . the trusting God for
the results kind of hope.
Because hope is still moving forward even when you feel weary and uncertain and gives life to things that
are so questionable, an outline of sorts to things we cannot see . . .
. . . and waiting for them with patience.
Love, Kim
