Butterfly Butterfly Fly Away Home

(Can you see the chrysalis in the foreground? He had emerged moments before I took this photo)

Before the Thanksgiving Holiday... which I will post photos of later, my family had been closely watching the most beautiful and colorful caterpillars that had made a home in one of our rogue plants on the backyard patio. Day after day we would watch them move along inch by inch devouring anything in it's path. As they plumped up many questions came up as to what kind of caterpillars they were and why did they decide to make a home here. I researched online and answered as best as I could but my guess was a Monarch which I later found out was wrong.

Around Halloween, Nikhil noticed that one of the caterpillars was starting it's transformation into butterflyhood....(yes I made that word up)

We watched it form a chrysalis then waited. Every day we walked outside to see if it was still there and sure enough it was. During the 3 week transformation we watched approximately 10 caterpillars as they started their chrysalis....what an amazing sight to see.

Then it happened, as we ate lunch on a blustery Sunday with Grandma Edith we watched a brand new baby butterfly emerge. Of course, poor guys luck, it was the windiest day in So. Cal. It got blown in every direction but not before I could snap a few amazing macro shots while it's wings hardened and it prepared for flight. I never could see the outside wing design, after all butterflies leave their wings closed while they rest where as moths relax with them open. He flew away during a break I took from patiently watching and shooting.

Here he is.... I decided it was a him early on, don't know why just a feeling I guess.

I have looked throughout the butterfly databases to find out what kind of butterfly he really is but I can't seem to figure it out. Maybe one of you know the answer? Jatin and I would really appreciate any knowledge you guys have about our beautiful house guest.

The pillar as it roamed the leaves in search of food

(This caterpillar was probably as large as my ring finger, I have pretty big sausage fingers so he was pretty big)

( An amazing shot with my Canon 100mm Macro with ring flash)

(I can't believe how much this little guys face resembled a bird....can you all see it too?)

I got really excited about this shot

He was magnificent

Princess

For those of you who know me (or know my husband) than you know Princess. She is our 16 year old Himalayan baby, the oldest of our children and the most spoiled rotten thing on this planet.

As she has gotten older we have introduced another cat, 2 little terrors (my boys) and now a new puppy Coco and though I am sure she protests ever time something new comes in the house she does eventually snuggle up to them and love them,

I had a dream the other night that she passed, I know the day is coming as she is 16 cat years old, I was sad but the saddest part was Jatin, he was shattered. As I woke up in the morning I saw her laying in the morning sun I grabbed the camera. She just loves being the center of attention and I vowed to have great memories of her in print and in my head so we had a photoshoot. She posed and looked in the lens, we shot and snuggled then in a moments notice she decided she had had enough and went to lay down on my bed. She is still with us, this wasn't the end but I thought I would share my "first born" with you all.

My Princess

I went out in search of a "new" baby to shoot and I got a response back from a mother who had just delivered baby number 3...meet Jessie.

So tiny, so fragile, so very sweet. She was smaller at 10 days old then both of my children were at birth so I just snuggled her up. I felt a little nervous at first, as it has been 2 years since I have had a newbie in my arms but after about 3 seconds it all came back to me.

As we fed her and fed her and fed her some more (we wanted her asleep) she kept her little eyes open as to say "Mom, I will not do what you want, I will stay awake for the party"

Well she finally gave in and that is when we started working.

Aren't these the most precious pics ever?