A Taste of Summer

This morning, I wandered through the extensive gardens of our hotel, looking for pictures to take. It was like being in a time machine, fast forwarded to summer. A profusion of flowers bloomed, and the smell of warm earth and growing things wafted over the lawns. Butterflies flapped everywhere, and I spent long minutes trying to get the perfect snap. Strong winds buffeted butterflies and plants alike, testing my camera and my patience. But as I stalked my quarry, trying to creep within close focus range of various targets, I began to notice how many of them were battered and frayed, their wings a tattered fringe with beak-shaped chunks missing. And yet, they still flew. They didn't give up -- they flew, they sipped nectar, they pollinated. And though they might not have looked quite as snazzy as their younger, fresher cousins, they still got the job done. A good thing to remember, I suppose, on those days when I want to lie around feeling sorry for myself!

Tropical Buckeye (Junonia genoveva) and Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) share a plant.