Thanks to all for the prayers and thoughts. Though saddened we have our memories forever in our hearts and she is now back at Happily EverAfter eternally resting under the maples.

((((( Hugs ))))) to you and your family. Beneath the maples sounds like a perfect Happily Ever After resting spot for your beautiful Maggie!

moth

Awwwwwwwww Dave, I'm just now getting to reading this thread for the first time in a few days. I'm so sorry about your dear sweet Maggie girl. Our pets are members of our family & losing them is always hard. She had a nice long life with you though & you certainly don't have to question of there was anything else you could do for her. Take peace in that. She's waiting for you when you get there.

I went to Medina Lake's dam area and looked around. On the first sunny day after rains, quite a few Monarchs were flying through. All flying, I didn't any nectaring. We're experiencing an influx of snout butterflies...it happens some years when southern Texas get rainfall again after serious droughts...then they go north. One snout on Evergreen Sumac and many others clinging to Poverty Weed:

No Monarch pics from the dam, but the next morning, I took this pic of a Monarch on Frostweed at the front of my property.

The Monarch caterpillar I raised pupated...hope it makes it.

Good shots Linda. Wow at all those snouts on 1 plant!

In some areas, the rains recently were more generous than they were closer around here, and I've seen a single large blooming Evergreen Sumac literally covered with hundreds of butterflies flitting around in the afternoon sunshine. The other kind of plant that is blooming well is Kidneywood. Almost all (95%, I guess) of the butterflies are snouts, but there are others also. If you drive along on the narrow country roads, many of the butterflies are flitting about the blooming plants, creating constant motion...it's amazing to see. Among the other butterflies I saw along the roads the other day:

Some kind of hairstreak I saw in my yard yesterday.

And a couple of Spicebush butterflies that emerged from their chrysallises yesterday and today.

Linda, I would love to see that many butterflies flitting around.

Me too!

I've began to see some butterflies in my garden. This one has its wings damaged

You're just coming into summer right Cecilia?

Maybe that butterfly has traveled a long way.

This is my one and only Monarch (a female) that I raised this year, it emerged from its chrysallis and eventually I let it go outside.

Hi Linda, Can you point out how you know this is a female? I've read so many posts, that pinpoint male/female. But I sure would like to know…how can you tell!?!

I didn't know until the butterfly eclosed today and I could see it's wings. This shows how to tell:
http://adver-net.com/monpics.h...
Yesterday coming back from San Antonio, we saw some Monarchs flying by above the roads. So the migration is still continuing.

Oh my gosh!!! Thanks so much! I had no clue! Learned something new today…Love that!
Good to hear about the migration!

What a beautiful monarch Linda! Love that link too. Thanks Tara, for asking the question.

flaflwrgrl said:What a beautiful monarch Linda! Love that link too. Thanks Tara, for asking the question.

I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one, that didn't know how to tell the difference! I was almost feeling a bit stupid! Thanks all!

Linda: Your Monarch is so beautiful! And thanks for that link ... I've never known the difference between male and female butterflies of any type and that sure is informative regarding the Monarch!