How happy we all were for the bit of cloud cover yesterday brought us! It felt like Spring again as we skipped over to Kendal to wade through the creek and jump off hay bales. I was so glad I had slung my camera over my shoulder because the butterflies swarming the teasel were spectacular.

First we have the tiger swallowtail:

Next, a female swallowtail in her dark phase:The shy, peaceful looking monarchThe sad tattered red admiralUntil moments later that monarch, much to my horror, attacked the poor admiral pinning it to the ground six feet below! Apparently butterflies can be very territorial.Here is the view I had looking up, quite stuck in the thicket of teasel I had forged into, trying to photograph the butterfly attack.

One of my curious budding naturalists:
Joshua took this picture of us. I am showing Gabriel a dead cicada and he is batting it away with a stick. Here's to many more cloudy days!