Waiting for the Return

It is absolutely lashing down outside today. Proper dark, miserable weather where you need the lights on all day. So I found myself scrolling through my camera roll for a bit of escapism and stopped on this beauty from last spring. It really lifted my spirits.

This is a Peacock butterfly, catching some rays on a brilliant yellow dandelion. You can see the edges of its wings are a bit tattered—a sign of a life well-lived. Did you know these hardy little things actually hibernate over winter? They tuck themselves away in dark, cool spots like sheds or hollow trees and are often the first butterflies we see when the weather finally warms up.