Butterflies! Butterflies! and more Butterflies!

Above, the Before Picture"...

After about 12 days, the butterfly emerges from it's tight enclosure (on the lower left, above) with amazing speed, (like, 2 seconds) once it is ready. The swallowtail above was out for a few hours, since its wings are well expanded.

 After it has had time to dry off and expand, we take it--cage and all--outside. Sometimes they have to be coaxed onto your finger and lifted out, to fly away. Sometimes, they want to ride around on your finger for a while. They are surprisingly individual.

This one settled on a cone flower in the garden and sat for several hours, another perched in a tree for a while, others soar immediately and disappear.

When they first emerge, their wings are tiny.

Here is a glorious example! We charmed both sets our neighbors' visiting grandchildren with this venture.

The photos have all shown different butterflies--we've released about a dozen at least, by now. The one shown above was especially individual. After his/her purge, traveled around the cage for hours trying to decide where to settle; finally was happy with a place at the very top of the cage. Flew away immediately when the cage was opened; only had a second to snap his portrait.

The other day, I was on our deck--"the launch pad"--when a handsome large swallow tail zoomed into the yard, up to the deck and circled me twice before flapping away. Like, "Happy Mother's Day"!