Butterfly

For some reason, when I moved to the Northwest I noticed that there are hardly any bugs here. I don't know why. I'm suspicious. I wonder if it is some kind of environmental pollutant that comes out of the silicon forest. Although I don't miss the ever present cockroaches and mosquitoes of the Midwest, I do miss the ladybugs, box-elder bugs, and especially butterflies. I don't think I've seen one for years.

This evening, Grampa Fred and I took the kids and the dog out in our small backyard. The kids were cranky and tired at the end of the day, the dog was barking, and my dad was probably about on his ninth hour of endless TV watching (an area of extreme controversy in our house.) As soon as we went outside, the kids became calm and peaceful. We all sat in the grass and squished our toes around while my dad threw a tennis ball around with Abbey.

I was looking at Aaron and he raised his arm off to the side and looked over and smiled. At first I thought he was "seeing dead people," but then I noticed a little white butterfly fluttering around the bushes. I swear that is the first butterfly I've seen since I moved here 8 years ago.

I'm just beginning to develop the garden out in the yard this year, but maybe the saying is true. If you build it, they will come.

Incidentally, we saw the butterfly at the time that D would have been having his surgery. (Which seems to have gone well, by the way). So I think it was a good omen.

Comments

[Kristin]

Hi there. Another new reader....just found you last week. I know what you mean! There are fewer bugs here (I live in Seattle - not sure where you are) than some places, thats for sure. I do notice quite a few more butterflies now that we have a big garden and more colorful plants. There are a lot of "butterfly attractor" types, and they do work (I notice more hummingbirds, too!). Let me know if you want any reccomendations!