Butterflies

Our butterfly pavilion did marvelously well--we got 9/10 live butterflies.  Even the packaging says to only expect 5-6.  Finally the time has come to release them into the great outdoors.

They weren't quite sure what to do with their newfound freedom--for just a minute they stayed there, even though it was open. 

Mimi was very interested in the proceedings.

Then a gust of wind came and swirled them around the pavilion a bit, and off they went!  Leiden and Mac both instinctively waved at them as they fluttered off.

 

Mimi was less sure that this was what we wanted to have happen. 

Mac kind of wandered off, while the other two kept an eye on the two stubbornly refusing to leave. 

 

One of these two was one that came out of its chrysalis missing a wing and a leg on his right side.  S/He will probably not last long in the wild, but it gave us an opportunity to talk about it a bit.  The tenth caterpillar had made a chrysalis, but it got knocked around pretty good, and ended up falling off the little paper slip they form on, and then the pavilion got flung about in the wind while we ran an errand.  Sorry, little guy.  What a fun adventure for us!