The Birth of a Butterfly
One of the most beautiful things I ever did see was the birth of a monarch butterfly. There's something so magical about a little caterpillar turning into this beautiful, intricate, delicate butterfly. The caterpillar works so hard, inching along all in effort to create his cocoon. Then he metamorphosizes into a stunning monarch capable of flying wherever his heart desires.
I was on a road trip with my boyfriend. We made a stop at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco. We were in the butterfly room & came across an enclosed case with emerald green & gold looking pods. I honest-to-goodness thought they were jewelry or pendants of some kind because they are so beautiful in an unnatural way, so I thought.
Upon closer look, I realized that they were indeed 100% natural. They were cocoons. Butterfly cocoons. I inched closer peering at the emerald & gold pods & saw the faint pattern that is so easily recognizable as the monarch butterfly.
It's just so beautiful to see this caterpillar give birth to itself in the form of a butterfly. It's complex & perplexing how they do it, but I was so very thrilled to stand there & see it unfold. He slowly wriggled out of his little cocoon sleeping bag & opened his wings. How could he fit in there? It seemed so cramped.
I don't know how the world works or why, but sometimes it's these little bits of nature & earth that seem so fulfilling. I look back at these photos & my mind immediately takes me to San Francisco. To witness beauty in such an innocent way is something that will last long within me.
Have you ever seen something in nature that left you speechless or happy or just made you feel some type of way? :]
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I liked this post very much. I never watched the birth of a butterfly but I guess it must be as amazing as you described it. :) Very cool.
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It was pretty cool. :]
DeleteAmazing! I would think they truly are pendants when standing in front of them! How do they've made these golden lines?
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Lovely!
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WOW...this is crazyyyy amazing. I don't think I've gotten to witness anything in nature that has left me speechless yet. Would love to see this in person one day.
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Just keep your eyes peeled. :]
DeleteThis is amazing! I love nature, it often leaves me speechless! One of the things that springs to mind for me is when I went on a glass submarine through the ocean, it was amazing to see life under the water, so inspiring!
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Underwater is a whole other world, isn't it? That sounds exciting! :]
DeleteI forgot how beautiful the birth of a butterfly is! When I was 13 or something, I always went looking for caterpillar in our garden, because we had a lot of them. I filled a big bowl with leaves and hoped the caterpillar would turn in to a butterfly. But I always ended up putting it back in our garden again because I felt too guilty for putting the little caterpillar in a bowl haha
ReplyDeletex Val // Valerie Randomness
I used to do the same but with snails (yuck!). I let them go after like 3 hours. :]
DeleteWhen I was younger, my parents used to take me to some sort of plant & garden convention in New Jersey and they would sell caterpillars there..or maybe they sold them already in their cocoons? I honestly can't remember the details because it was so long ago, but anyway we would get one every year, keep it in a special cage, wait for it to "hatch", then set it free in our backyard. The day the butterfly came out of it's cocoon was always really exciting.
ReplyDeleteAs for what takes my breath away these days...a truly beautiful sunset :-)
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Ah yes, a beautiful sunset is incomparable. I think we used to do the same thing with butterflies in elementary school. :]
Deletewow, this pictures are so beautiful! Amazing post!
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Wow that's amazing! Cool post! =)
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Such a beautiful post! Love these pictures!
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Wow, this is such an amazing experience...the cocoons look so beautiful!
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Right? I still can't get over it. :]
DeleteOmg! That's freaking beautiful <333
ReplyDeleteThey sure are. :]
DeleteWow Carmen, what a beautiful post. I have never witness the birth of a butterfly but I have heard about it from other people and now from you. Seeing things like that reminds me of the loving energy that is in everyone and everything and that makes who we are. Experiencing the birth of my daughters was the most fulfilling and heartwarming event I have ever seen. Life itself is filled with miracles like that . They happen everyday but always seem to be ignored and unseen. We live in such a fast pace world always thinking about what we need to do next and we forget to slow down, smell the roses and see the life changing miracles that are happening around us everyday. Thanks for sharing Carmen. Have a blessed week. XOXO, Jeannette
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The birth of anything is magical, really. It's so beyond me how it all works & why, but it's definitely part of the miracle of life. :]
DeleteLove the post ! Such pretty photos ! WOW
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. :]
DeleteI can completely understand why this impressed you, how beautiful and intricate these cocoons are - nature is an incredible thing!! :)
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Nature is totally incredible & intricate. :]
DeleteThis is so beautiful! ♥ I don't like caterpillars and worms but butterflies are really beautiful! I hope I'll be able to witness something like that in the future. xx
ReplyDeleteRoxanne ♥ | Awkward Turtle
I don't either, Roxanne. That's why butterflies are so interesting! :]
DeleteThose are so beautiful!! I thought they were pieces of jewelry too! :)
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Right?! I kinda want one! :p
DeleteGreat post
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Oh wow, I honestly have seen some butterfly cocoons before but none like these. I don't blame you for thinking they were pendants, I would have thought the same too. LOL!
ReplyDeleteShireen | Reflection of Sanity
Yeah, come to think of it, I've seen cocoons before but they weren't freaking gorgeous like these! :p
DeleteSo cool! Have you seen the monarch butterfly migration in Pismo Beach, CA?! Sooooo cool!! - www.domesticgeekgirl.com
ReplyDeleteI haven't! I ought to go. :]
DeleteI love the birth of a butterfly and your post is beautiful!!!!
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Butterflies always seemed to creep me out whenever they were close to me but I could see why their birth would be beautiful. Any type of birth is beautiful to me because it represents hope and a chance for something right to happen in the world.
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I understand, I'm not a bug person. They're pretty from afar! :]
DeleteThis is so cool! I remember when I was in grade school we got a bunch of caterpillars and watched them turn into butterflies! It is so unreal and how gorgeous are those cocoons?!
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I remember that too! I don't think I thought much about it at the time though. :p
DeleteWow this is amazing! Nature is surely beautiful.
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Wow, what a fabulous experience! The cocoons really are emerald-like!
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Yes! I totally thought it was a pendant. :]
DeleteThis is beautiful, I'd love to see something like this myself one day!
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Too beautiful! I love butterflies so, so much :)
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Wow that actually is so beautiful!
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Adorable ♥
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