“Come see one of your friends,” my husband pleaded. I had just put toothpaste on my toothbrush for the nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. I was too tired for this game. But I went anyway.
“It better not be a snake!” I exclaimed.
He assured me, “I wouldn’t do that to you.” History says otherwise.
He opened the kitchen door to the back porch and there it was. A black swallowtail butterfly!
I was ecstatic! “I can’t believe it hatched. I thought the chrysalis was dead.”
I understand that a chrysalis is supposed to look dead for its own protection, but this one was on a garden trellis that had been knocked over by the wind, carried in and out of my monarch butterfly domain. It held 3 different monarch chrysalises this past winter. I was grateful that I hadn’t taken the dead-looking thing off. I left it without hope or even an inkling that it would ever hatch.
This is the caterpillar from last summer. June 9, 2021 to be exact. I had taken my grandsons on a trip to a nearby farm. The caterpillar was on a parsley plant. The plant was in a small black plastic pot as if it had just been delivered from the nursery. I took the caterpillar and the plant and placed them into a butterfly net enclosure. It made the chrysalis not long after this, but never emerged. Until last night, 9 months later. Currently, the beauty is still hanging on to the screen. I hope he gets the courage to fly. My little miracle!
Reflections on the Teche 
We have a butterfly garden at our school and it is always a life-affirming thing to see what comes out!
That’s a LONG time to overwinter! Huzzah to the Black Swallowtail who persisted!
WOW!!! I just shared your link with a Kinder Science teacher who was teaching me all about this process. So cool to see both images. THanks for recording this. Love your title. I also like how much I learn about both you and your husband through reading the dialogue and inner thinking. Lovely slice.
What a beauty! Butterflies know you are a safe place to nurtured.
I am genuinely astonished at all you were able to capture this entire story in photographs and then in text. It speaks to your keen observation of the natural world unfolding right before your very eyes.
This slice is a beautiful reminder of the value of patience. Sometimes we just need to wait a little longer.
Wow! Now I am really curious. Is this normal for this long delay? Love the miracle–and the beautiful butterfly!
You are amazing, Margaret. So many critters are awfully lucky to have you in their corner cheering them on!
Wow! This story amazed me. Such a gorgeous butterfly. Worth the wait.
Margaret, your love of butterflies is outstanding! This one is one of your little ones that grew up to be a beauty. Soon, he will fly off but you have the photo as remembrance.
What a perfect surprise, especially after so long.
I can’t quite believe it, either – beautiful and surprising. Also, this line made me snicker: “History says otherwise.”
Yay! 🙂 I love this slice. Beautiful all the way through. You’re a great butterfly mama! Parsley is one of the host plants for black and tiger swallowtails, which is why I plant parsley in my flower garden.