One Amazing Journey

The Monarch butterfly is the most widely recognized butterfly in our country. So popular, in fact, some have petitioned to have it named our nation’s insect. And while Monarchs are distinguished for their annual fall migration, the details of this great flight are often overlooked or misunderstood.

Every fall, millions of Monarchs from as far north as Vermont and Canada, flitter and glide there way south. Clustered by the millions, Monarchs will wait the winter out in the giant oyamel and eucalyptus trees of Mexico and California. The migration alone is incredible, the fact that none of these Monarchs have previously been to the over wintering sites, make it extraordinary!

In the spring, as the air warms in Mexico and California, the over wintering monarchs begin their journey north. Along the way they mate, lay eggs and die. If lucky, the Monarchs from the Mexican sites might make it as far north as Texas. The next generation of monarchs continues the progression north. Months later the great, great, great, great grandchildren of those early spring monarchs will reach the southern border of Canada. It is these Monarchs, triggered by dropping temperatures, which venture back to the roosting sites in Mexico and California.

Scientists may never discover how Monarch butterflies navigate their way back to the roosting sites of their ancestors. It remains one of the great-unsolved mysteries of Natural Science. Individuals however, can enjoy the magic of Monarch butterflies by raising and releasing these winged creatures.

Over the years, I have enjoyed sharing my passion for butterflies by teaching classes on how to raise and release Monarchs. Finding eggs and caterpillars in the wild and raising them to adults is a very rewarding experience. I used to believe children benefited the greatest from this endeavor. But the emergence of the adult butterfly appears to inspire the adults in my class the most. Is it the Monarch caterpillar’s ability to completely transform itself that captivates us, or realizing life’s fragility as we observe the defenseless adult butterfly pumping up her wings? For myself, it is the lesson of letting go received as I lift the lid of the container and set my monarch free.

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Gratitude

Poems have never really been my thing, probably because most of the time I just don't get them. But recently a dear friend of mine introduced me to the poems of Mary Oliver in a book called Thirst. A particular poem so moved me that I felt a need to share it.




The Place I Want To Get Back To

is where
in the pinewoods
in the moments between
the darkness

and first light
two deer
came walking down the hill
when they saw me

they said to each other, okay
this one is okay,
let's see who she is
and why she is sitting

on the ground, like that,
so quiet, as if
asleep, or in a dream,
but, anyway, harmless;

and so they came
on their slender legs
and gazed upon me
not unlike the way

I go out to the dunes and look
and look and look
into the faces of the flowers;
and then one of them leaned forward

and nuzzled my hand, and what can my life
bring to me that could exceed
that brief moment
For twenty years

I have gone every day to the same woods,
not waiting, exactly, just lingering.
Such gifts, bestowed,
can't be repeated.

If you want to talk about this
come to visit, I live in the house
near the corner, which I have named
Gratitude.


Mary Oliver


not so much a place as a feeling...but sometimes if you are lucky the place can create the feeling.

Yearn to Travel...Live the Dream...Practice Gratitude.

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Beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont

Usually, when we tell someone we are going to Vermont for the weekend their response runs something like this, "Oh we love Vermont...where are you heading?" Our response, quite often in unison, is "The Northeast Kingdom". This is almost always followed by blank stares and confusion.... most of you have never heard of it.

The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont...truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you have been to Vermont but have not been to The Kingdom, then you have not experienced the real Vermont. Located in the remote northeast corner of the state, it has managed to allude the over development of it's more southernly sister. It has been called "the Vermonters' Vermont" and when you visit you will understand why.

One of the first things that struck us about the Northeast Kingdom was how spectacular the views and vistas were. With dizzying effects you will often find yourself on a third class dirt road gazing down into a lush green valley with distant mountain tops to cap it all off. Every bend in the road brings with it sighs of wonder and awe. The Kingdom is an outdoorsman's(or woman's) dream come true. With rivers to paddle, trials to hike and bike, mountains to ski, and streams and lakes to fish in, one is hard pressed not to find something to do.


But don't be fooled into thinking that the great outdoors is all that The Kingdom has to offer. It is also home to many an interesting gallery, a multitude of museums and fabulous restaurants. With such eclectic businesses as the Down to Earth Worm Farm in Greensboro Bend and The Red Sky Trading shop in Glover, even the shopper in you will be satisfied. And after a day of hiking, shopping, eating and gallery perusing, you can attend to your spiritual and emotional health with a stay at the Stepping Stone Spa and Wellness Center in Lyndonville.



My husband and I have been vacationing in the Northeast Kingdom for seven years now. So taken by this little piece of heaven , we purchased a home(vacation) there is 2001. We have a saying between us..."living the dream" and how true it is when your in The Northeast Kingdom.