General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHope in a time of crisis
A little backstory, and please forgive me if I seem to ramble - I live in the middle of a large northern city and have no yard, not even a small patch of grass. I do, however, have a deck that I use to plant herbs, flowers and veggies in pots. I take care to select plants that help our pollinators and I grow organically.
Last year, I chose to grow dill alongside my cucumbers so that I could try my hand at making pickles. I soon noticed a couple of tiny caterpillars, looked them up and discovered that they were Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly larvae. Cool, I thought! Ive never seen one of those butterflies in the city! Then, the wasps carried them away and that was that, I thought.
A month later, though, there were two more of them. I took them inside and cared for them until they emerged as butterflies one male, one female and set them free. I was completely awestruck, as this city girl had never witnessed this phenomenon before, and welled up with tears.
This year, I asked the 6 year old if he wanted to raise caterpillars again (silly question). The dill came back on its own, in a completely different pot across the deck than the one it had been planted in originally. (Im pretty sure this is why its called dillweed!) Early this summer, a caterpillar appeared which we took in, a female it turns out. We said goodbye with a mixture of joy and awe as she flew off.
Word must have gotten around, though, because the next thing I knew we had 8 new caterpillars. Female Eastern Black Swallowtails only lay one egg at a time, so I dont know how many may have visited my plants. I also have literally never seen one of these butterflies in my neighborhood except the ones that Ive raised and only as they're flying away from me. Then 5 additional caterpillars appeared but I lost these to the wasps before I could bring them in. Butterflies are known as an indicator species, because they quickly respond to even subtle changes in their environment. That I have so many now means something is going right!
This morning, after a miserable evening of trying to avoid the news about NK and possible nuclear war, I woke to find that 5 of my 8 butterflies had emerged from their cocoons and were ready to be set free.
I share this story, while simple and maybe a bit pedestrian, because I was reminded this morning that in this time of crisis when I am so terrified, angry, and sad that there is still beauty, and hope, and the possibility for transformation in the world. In other words, theres a crack in the sidewalk where a flower grows.
Please dont give up, fellow DUers. We have a lot of work to do and we must keep fighting.
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elleng
(131,292 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)I think we all could use a little hope, right now.
elleng
(131,292 posts)I spend much of my times these days watching Ospreys, growing and flying/fledging. They'll head to south America soon, so THEY'll have a future at least.
Phoenix61
(17,023 posts)all year. I love the call they make at the end of the day. Reminds me of a mother calling her children in for the night.
elleng
(131,292 posts)There's a pair (and a kid) here, next 'door' to me in southern MD, so I watch them every day. Babe fledged, and they were all flying and calling yesterday afternoon. I'll go out soon to see if I can spot them. I expect them to head south during the next few weeks.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)Not sticks and bricks and weapons of war....
elleng
(131,292 posts)As to 'sticks,' so good to watch the parents bring them in to repair the nest! Absolutely NO weapons of war!
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)elleng
(131,292 posts)then off to nearby perch/tree branch, balancing (and eating!) dinner!
MontanaMama
(23,366 posts)I'm on the board of Raptors Of The Rockies, and our most talented Executive Director took these photos recently. Breathtaking!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1382889808413067&set=a.306455299389862.63935.100000761821969&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1383365311698850&set=a.306455299389862.63935.100000761821969&type=3
elleng
(131,292 posts)'My' river and creek more calm.
MontanaMama
(23,366 posts)Of our minor league baseball team. The stadium is built by the river than runs through town and an osprey pair next at the edge of the stadium every year. During games they play the call of an osprey when the team does well and the resident pair always call back. The crowd loves it.
elleng
(131,292 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)I love raptors.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)Yes, on this day of 'what will be hearing or not',
you have shared a wondrous event of nature.
You must have butterfly magnetism! They are drawn to your kindness and good 'stewardship' of our earth.
You no ramble, painted a pretty picture.
Blessings galore on you! 💖
The photo of the flutterby got me misty.
-sprink
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)And thank you so much for the compliment, Sprink! It's the kindest thing I've heard in a long time.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)FSogol
(45,579 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)The butterfly effect in chaos theory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)That's always the question, isn't it?
lunatica
(53,410 posts)sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)That you've influenced the ripple effect in a most beneficent way! Yay!
MFM008
(19,827 posts)Lucky you. I have a yard and all I see is dead grass.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)That's probably what I'd have, too. Grass seems like a lot of work.
Is there a drought near you, or are you cursed with a brown thumb? (Which is what I used to think I had, too.)
MFM008
(19,827 posts)We have had a record stretch of dry weather here in Washington state. Supposed to be ending soon.
Heartstrings
(7,349 posts)Thanks for sharing!
haele
(12,688 posts)Only about 30 feet away and 15 ft. up. Surrounded by the early evening pale blue sky, the fern-like green leaves and the pale lavender flowers, she was clearly visible and gorgeously dangerous looking. I say "she", because the females are half again the size of males, and she was huge for a California red-tailed hawk, even with her adolescent fluff. Probably resting after hunting for the bunnies in the canyon below.
She still had the mottled feathering and down of a hawk that had just left the nest, and was calmly cleaning her wings. Gave me a couple glances when I got out of the car, but pretty much ignored me.
If it weren't for the shed between us, I would have tried to get closer to get a decent picture of her.
Haele
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)Both the hawk (I'm sure) and the way you write.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)BadgerMom
(2,771 posts)pansypoo53219
(21,005 posts)dill is a weed. i noticed once a free range dill plant growing in the tree grate next to the farmers market.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)Duppers
(28,130 posts)Touched me so much. Thank you for being you.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)Silver Gaia
(4,549 posts)What a lovely, heartwarming story. Bless you for caring for these babies and giving them a chance to become such beautiful adults. We are ALL important and deserving of kindness.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)We all do deserve kindness and a chance to become what we were meant to be.
sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)Tanuki
(14,926 posts)so many good lessons in all of this, from care of the earth and its creatures, to hope, to having a little garden even in a tiny space, to the circle of life, to making pickles....you rock, Teapot! The butterflies are also thanking you in the best way..by thriving and increasing in number and flying back to you generation after generation!
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)Truth be told, though, I'm much better at butterflies than pickles! That was one experiment I did not repeat.
Doug the Dem
(1,297 posts)Just speaking for myself, I think this story has been overblown.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)sprinkleeninow
(20,268 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)Please explain? I'm intrigued!
SunSeeker
(51,787 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)I never thought of that. "Hope" you're not disappointed!
SunSeeker
(51,787 posts)hamsterjill
(15,224 posts)I am always happy to be reminded that Mother Earth is still in charge. Sometimes I tend to forget that, and I appreciate the reminder. There is still beauty in nature, and there are still good people trying to do good things.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)It does help, doesn't it? So I wanted to share it with other people who might be feeling grim, as well.
MerryBlooms
(11,776 posts)BarbD
(1,194 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)lucca18
(1,245 posts)Yes, there still is beauty and hope in this world.
Thank you!
DippyDem
(659 posts)c-rational
(2,600 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)And welcome to DU (from another newish poster)!
ailsagirl
(22,904 posts)Priceless and so needed
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)It really feels like that some days, doesn't it?
ailsagirl
(22,904 posts)The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mountain Mule
(1,002 posts)Thanks for doing your part to help save yet one more species from extinction!
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)It's an uphill battle, but one worth fighting.
tiredtoo
(2,949 posts)I have two rhode island reds cavorting in my back yard. They are pets and egg producers. They are fun to watch chasing each other thru the yard and fighting for that juicy worm. They like to lay under the bushes in the shade, coming out with a flourish upon my call.
A time of peace and relaxation from this nasty world we are currently living in.
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)I've wanted chickens for years; they seem so fun. And, yes, we all need a little break from the nastiness that's been descending like storm clouds lately. Any non-human creature seems to help (except spiders - ).
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)emmadoggy
(2,142 posts)thank you for taking such good care of these beautiful creatures!
Amaryllis
(9,526 posts)mahina
(17,734 posts)Guilded Lilly
(5,591 posts)Truly these are such frighteningly threatening times. When I was a kid, I was (as I should have been) unaware of the political threats of the late 50's and 60's
Now, I know all too well of the destruction we are fighting every day.
But...
Your post was most welcome and touched that part of my heart that can still hope
Thank-you!!
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)I'm glad to hear this post helped in some way.
CrispyQ
(36,552 posts)Lovely photos, too!
Mickju
(1,807 posts)Thank you!
TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)Two more emerged and flew away this morning. Now I'm just waiting for the last little straggler.