A Nine Butterfly Day
July 12, 2007
It's a three chili pepper day, so I'm just going to emit a series of warm, fluid thoughts. I saw nine butterflies today, which reminded me of the artist Mike McDonald who planted butterfly gardens around Canada. The website at The Saint Norbert's Art Centre in Manitoba has a copy of Mike MacDonald's artist statement and a list of his gardens here. Mike crossed over to the spirit world not too long ago. I hope he gets to visit his gardens in the form of the butterflies he loved so much. I wonder if there is still one of his gardens at Presentation House Gallery in North Vancouver. I'll have to make a trip up there next week to check that out.
The Buddleia (butterfly bush) are blooming. In fact my son and I stopped to watch a rust-color butterfly feeding on a bush this morning. They are all over our neighborhood in yards and vacant lots. Imagine a whole vacant lot full of fragrant, purple butterly bush. I would bet that this was Mike's favorite time of year. He's been on my mind lately, especially when the ninth butterfly I saw was floating around and around in front of a house on the corner, riding the warm air currents, basking it's black and yellow wings in the sunlight. I have often fantasized about owning that little house. There must be good spirits there.
I love lavender. The English lavender is blooming on the north side of our house and the bumblebees are sipping up the nectar. I saw a vigorous bombus stuffing its pollen pockets with great enthusiasm on our brown wooden fence near the purple blossoms. We must plan a trip some year to the Cowichan Valley when the lavender is blooming. Cowichan Festival of Lavender
A Cooling Apple-Honey Tonic:
1/2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
sparkling water to taste
Mix the ingredients and pour over ice. Drink it sitting in the shade, watching the butterflies play.