cactus turns purple
no swirling pumpkins for us
Arizona autumn
haiku by M. LaFreniere
We have our own changing leaves or should I say “paddles”?
Actually while pear cactus does sometimes turn purple with cold, these magenta circles are more likely from the cochineal insects famed for making scarlet dye.
I saw a swallowtail butterfly struggling to sip from a flower Saturday as the wind picked up. Not too far from the pear cactus.
I left the sound as is so you could hear how windy it was. I felt sorry for it but it kept on trying. If the wind blew it away, it just kept coming back to the bush.
First time I’ve seen a swallowtail butterfly “in the wild”. Ok, yes, I saw it walking home so it was next to the sidewalk so “urban wild”? Is that a term? Up until now I’ve seen it mostly in butterfly houses like at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
It rained yesterday. I wonder where butterflies go during a rain.
10/28/18 note: I did say “monarch butterfly” originally. Someone pointed out it wasn’t and then I realized it was a “swallowtail butterfly”. Sorry to anyone who got confused. See drkottaway’s comment below.