Butterfly

A butterfly was in our house.  We are not sure where she came from, being that it is the cold month of January--and not a time for butterflies to be flying around outside.  We gave her a flower for nectar and a cap with water for nourishment.  Her tongue uncurled into the flower to eat and she also drank from the water.  

I brought her into my room and shut the door so my cat would not harm her.  I opened her cage and she flew for the sunlight that was coming in the window.  I was fascinated to see how instinctively she flew directly for the sunlight.  She landed on the window--trapped, yet again.  The irony of the situation was that I wanted to let her out to be free, but knew that if I did she would freeze to death.  So I kept her inside, with the hope that she would somehow survive long enough to be set free in warmer temperatures.  

She seemed to like being on the window sill where there was a small crack under the window, allowing a trickle of fresh air to blow in.  She stayed on the window sill for a long time, resting on the flower petals.  She had the freedom to be out of the cage for several hours.  

Later my cat knocked at my door to come in.  I gently moved the flower and butterfly back into the cage to keep it safe from my cat.  The videos show how my cat reacted with childlike delight when he saw the butterfly.  She didn't survive to be released in warmer weather, only lasting one more day, but at least she got to fly around sit in the sunshine, with the fresh air that day.

Beautiful wings, delicate antennae and legs, fuzzy body.

An invisible wall.  I identified with her frustration, as this same invisible wall has been a barrier for me.  The walls we put up between us and the natural world have become increasingly confining. 

This photo shows a bit of her tongue.

Her eyes were patterned a beautiful green that matched her wings.  I wondered what I looked like to her.

A curious, and gentle investigator at first, watching, gently reaching out and touching, sniffing. Then distancing and exploring from different angles, getting a closer look.  Unsure--being startled by butterfly's movements.  A brief pause to look around, sniff the camera, then getting smart and trying to open the door. 

Trying to pretend not to care about the butterfly in the cage, looking around at other things, but curiosity gets the best of him--a quick move of attack and then some sniffing and pawing at the cage.

More investigating... "Hey you in there... come out and play... you look like fun!"