Flora. Fauna.

We planted milkweed in our native garden in Wisconsin,

not because we love the plant particularly,

but to provide habitat for Monarch butterflies.

The first year of the garden, we observed Monarch caterpillars

feasting on the leaves of the plant early in the summer,

leaving  just stalks behind.

Several years went by without a repeat performance.

But the plants survived, so that was good.

This afternoon my mom paused in her garden work

to call over to where I was weeding:

"A Monarch!"

I came over to look  

and debated whether I should run inside for my camera.

Mmmm...Yes.

She (he?) was all by herself.

Lighting on one bloom, 

then flying away to another part of the garden 

before coming back to another bloom.

While waiting for her to come back, 

I took pictures of a bumble bee

and a golden dragonfly (a color I haven't seen before).

Twenty pictures later, 

she opened her wings just long enough for me to catch her 

before she was off again.