More Butterfly Fun

 Dear Friends,

On top of enjoying all the butterflies around our yard, we had the experience last weekend of visiting hundreds of the most beautiful winged creatures in the world at Powell Gardens' Butterfly Festival.

There were Blue Morphos from Peru~

Look at that gorgeous color!

 Giant Atlas Moths from Southeast Asia~

 

 Tanzanian Sunset Moths from Kenya~

 African Moon Moths~

And many others in the beautiful tropical conservatory devoted to their care.

 

This case was full of future moths and caterpillars, carefully glued onto boards while awaiting their emergence (can you see my lovely face in the glass?).

We also enjoyed the native butterfly and caterpillar displays, such as these monarch caterpillars on tropical milkweed plants.

I had been wanting to see  a Luna Moth since reading "A Girl of the Limberlost" over 20 years ago, so being able to see three of them was a real treat! Their beautiful green wings and fuzzy white bodies are just beautiful.

After viewing the butterfly displays, we toured some of the gardens and were excited to see turtles not far away. People who have lived in Missouri all their lives probably thought we were a little strange, getting excited over a few terrapins!
 

Tasha and Evangeline participated in the "caterpillar hunt," which was like a scavenger hunt, but which required locating various species of caterpillars placed in strategic areas of the gardens. Look how intent they are!

All in all, it was a very special experience, and we hope to go back to see the butterflies again before they no longer can be viewed. We left with a tropical milkweed plant for the monarchs, and felt a renewed spirit of desire to help the butterflies and other creatures who make our world such a beautiful place.

May your day be blessed!

Love,

Marqueta