Friday, March 7, 2014

Thinking About Butterflies...

Lately I have been thinking about butterflies......those colorful and delicate creatures that flit here and there.............when it is warm.  Warm........... Ok, admittedly, we are ready for winter to be over and to have things growing again. I like winter, I really do.........I am just ready to move on to the next season. :)

 I really like gardens, herbs and flowers...... and butterflies are a part of all of that. 



The variety of butterflies is amazing- even in just one local area....I know we have little purple ones, different sized yellow ones, monarchs and more.

This one looked so interesting when it flew....it sort of reminded me of the stealth bomber, in this picture, for some reason. 

The butterflies look so fragile....and yet some of them will migrate for hundreds or thousands of miles. Simply amazing.


The patterned wings are thin, but well suited to the butterflies' needs....


On the picture above, the butterfly is in flight......yet the tongue appears to be out....why? I don't know.  :) 

This butterfly looked different from the upper view or lower view - what a variety...on one butterfly.


See how the picture above, shows the wings on one side and the picture beside here shows the underside.....both are beautiful and yet very different. 




 The flowers are beautiful.........and the butterflies add much beauty to them. Some people call butterflies.........."Flying Flowers". 


I look forward to seeing butterflies outside again....and also to seeing flowers, plants and more. These pictures are from a year or two ago, and they are enjoyable to look at.....soon, we should have the real thing again. :)



















We really enjoyed the colors and the shine of this butterfly..........

What a blessing that God gave us a world filled with colors, textures and all sorts of living things.  Thank you for visiting my blog today..........



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52 comments:

  1. Wholesome JoyMarch 7, 2014 at 11:20 AM

    Beautiful pictures! there is so much variety in the world God made! Thanks for sharing. <3

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  2. Gentle JoyMarch 7, 2014 at 11:31 AM

    Thank you for the encouragement......I am so glad for the beauty God has made all around us. :)

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  3. Jill FoleyMarch 9, 2014 at 7:33 PM

    I love butterflies - so beautiful. You've got some really nice shots here.

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    1. Gentle JoyMarch 12, 2014 at 1:22 PM

      Thank you.......I hope to take many more this year. :)

      Delete
  4. UnknownMarch 10, 2014 at 7:34 AM

    Beautiful photos. I saw the first butterflies of the year yesterday! Thanks for sharing at Essential Fridays.
    Blessings
    Mel from Essential Thing Devotions

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    1. Gentle JoyMarch 12, 2014 at 1:23 PM

      That is amazing........we did see a little tiny moth here yesterday, but no butterflies yet. Thank you for visiting. :)

      Delete
  5. TammyMarch 12, 2014 at 11:37 AM

    One of the joys in my life is to watch the butterflies in my Butterfly Garden. This is a true gift from God everyday. They remind me of tissue flying in the air. Beautiful photos and thanks for sharing. www.mylifeabundant.com

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    1. Gentle JoyMarch 12, 2014 at 1:23 PM

      A butterfly garden sounds wonderful.....I do plant some things that butterflies like, but I don't have a whole garden. Thank you for visiting and for the encouragement. :)

      Delete
  6. JessicaMarch 14, 2014 at 10:01 AM

    What beautiful photographs. Those butterflies are making me wish for spring to be here right now.

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    1. Gentle JoyMarch 14, 2014 at 2:51 PM

      Me too.....I love spring...and we are quite ready. :)

      Delete
  7. Crystelle BoutiqueMarch 14, 2014 at 11:28 AM

    I am always amazed at a butterfly's intricacy.... You captured them so beautifully.....
    TGIF !! :)
    x Crystelle
    Crystelle Boutique


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    1. Gentle JoyMarch 14, 2014 at 2:52 PM

      Butterflies are quite amazing......thank you for visiting. :)

      Delete
  8. Kiittäkää Aina ja KaikestaMarch 15, 2014 at 7:50 AM

    Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing them with us.

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  9. Esther JoyMarch 16, 2014 at 7:54 AM

    Wonderful to have a glimpse of spring after this long winter! Great photos!
    I had a butterfly like that on my zinnias a couple of years ago, and eagerly snapped up photos for a "Butterflies and Zinnias" post.

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 8, 2014 at 4:27 PM

      I'm looking forward to seeing this year's butterflies after a long winter. :)

      Delete
  10. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.March 16, 2014 at 5:23 PM

    I can't wait to see butterflies again. But not tonight, it's snowing again!

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 8, 2014 at 4:27 PM

      I look forward to them also.....and am remembering that spring does have the up and down temps.....:)

      Delete
  11. TheresaMarch 19, 2014 at 11:20 AM

    These are such lovely photographs. I need to plant more butterfly garden plants. I had a bunch but, with our drought they died. We live within driving distance to see their migration habitat in Pismo beach. I want to go there and take photographs sometime. Thanks for sharing at the party! I'll be featuring your post! Theresa @DearCreatives

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 8, 2014 at 4:28 PM

      Thank you..... and thank you for the feature. :)

      Delete
  12. NCSueApril 20, 2015 at 12:19 PM

    Beautiful photos! Thank you so much for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/04/at-keyboard.html

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 8:44 AM

      Thank you... and thank you for the wonderful blog party. :)

      Delete
  13. UnknownApril 20, 2015 at 1:29 PM

    What fantastic views of butterflies. They have an incredible fragility yet, manage to survive long journeys.

    Pat at http://sugarspiceallthings-nice.blogspot.ca/

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 8:46 AM

      It was nice to follow them around the yard and get the close ups... they are amazing creatures... :) Thank you for visiting.

      Delete
  14. abriannaApril 20, 2015 at 2:36 PM

    Wonderful shots of the butterflies. I lived in a place where we got Monarch butterflies heading south in autumn. It was beautiful. I miss them as I don't see them much now.

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 8:49 AM

      Thank you... I did enjoy seeing so many of them ... and we have a lot of plants/herbs they like, so I expect to see many more this year. :) We get some monarchs here, but not the big amounts as they migrate... that would be beautiful to see. :)

      Delete
  15. csuhpat1April 20, 2015 at 8:51 PM

    Very Beautiful shots. Love it.

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 8:50 AM

      Thank you.... they are so beautiful... and move so much that I had to really work for these shots. :) Thank you for visiting.

      Delete
  16. UnknownApril 21, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    I have always ADORED butterflies! My mom and I actually raised swallowtails and monarchs for many years -- planting the host plants in our yard. Now my little son loves butterflies too :) These are beautiful thoughts and lovely images! Thanks for sharing and linking up with Tuesday Talk!

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 8:54 AM

      My son nurtures the parsley and dill for the butterflies and notices what they eat.... I even relented when they found an injured butterfly and allowed it in a shoebox in the house... uncovered. By morning it was flying around in the house. My older kids commented that they didn't get to do that! :) We change. Thank you for visiting and sharing with me about raising your butterflies.. those must be fun memories and now you are making them with your son also. :)

      Delete
  17. fredamansApril 21, 2015 at 9:01 AM

    Such pretty butterflies!

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 8:55 AM

      Thank you... I sure enjoyed seeing their bright colors flitting in the garden as I chased after them. :)

      Delete
  18. Non Toy GiftsApril 21, 2015 at 10:05 AM

    Beautiful butterflies!

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  19. daisy gApril 21, 2015 at 11:01 AM

    We are getting more caterpillars now that the warm weather has moved in. We have several monarchs in our garden right now and the promise of some black swallowtails soon. We enjoy giving them away to folks who want to learn about the life cycle. Hope you get some lovelies soon!

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 9:02 AM

      I haven't seen any caterpillars here yet, but they may be there already... I will start watching for them. Usually, it is my kids who alert me to their presence... I will have to ask if they have seen any yet. :) It is fun to watch the life cycle of them... and we do it many years... Thank you for visiting.... it was nice to hear from you. :)

      Delete
  20. UnknownApril 22, 2015 at 7:27 AM

    You really caught some amazing butterfly pictures! I love butterflies, and this post just made me so happy. Thanks very much for sharing.

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 22, 2015 at 9:03 AM

      Thank you... I can really understand why some people call them "flying flowers".. they are so pretty, delicate... and interesting. :) Thank you for visiting.

      Delete
  21. StephanieApril 22, 2015 at 10:34 AM

    Butterflies are truly lovely and unique creatures and I am thankful the Lord gave them to us so that we can enjoy their beauty :)

    Thanks for sharing this lovely post with Roses of Inspiration.

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 23, 2015 at 8:15 AM

      I agree... the colors, the designs, the texture, the shimmer... all combine to make beautiful creatures. :_

      Delete
  22. ConniecrafterApril 22, 2015 at 7:01 PM

    How wonderful to have all kinds of butterflies. We just bought some new plants that said that attract butterflies and I am excited to see if they do

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 23, 2015 at 8:16 AM

      I hope you end up with some beauties in your yard also... it is fun to watch them flit here and there... so cheerfully. :)

      Delete
  23. UnknownApril 23, 2015 at 1:28 AM

    Lovely butterflies!

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 23, 2015 at 8:19 AM

      Thank you... they are so pretty and fun to watch. :)

      Delete
  24. PhaceliaApril 23, 2015 at 7:09 PM

    Gorgeous shots of a Giant Swallowtail and a Red-spotted Purple! Butterflies are a real challenge to photograph, but so rewarding! :)

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 24, 2015 at 9:36 AM

      I am glad to hear the actual names - I wasn't sure! Thank you!. :) Yes, they are challenging, but it was worth it. :) Thank you for visiting.

      Delete
  25. KathleenApril 25, 2015 at 1:14 AM

    You did such a good job at photographing the butterflies, that is not easy. They are so interesting and lovely.
    Kathleen
    Fridays Blog Booster Party

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    1. Gentle JoyApril 25, 2015 at 12:29 PM

      Thank you... what a sweet comment. I do enjoy the butterflies and we are just starting to see them again this year. :) They are so pretty.

      Delete
  26. UnknownApril 27, 2015 at 8:07 AM

    Those are so gorgeous pictures! :) WOW!

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  27. LA MuranoApril 30, 2015 at 7:04 PM

    Your pictures are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

    Thanks for linking up with Green Thumb Thursday! I hope you'll join us again this week!

    ~Lisa

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    1. Gentle JoyMay 1, 2015 at 4:24 PM

      Thank you! :) I appreciate your wonderful blog party also. :)

      Delete
  28. MariaMay 14, 2015 at 6:06 PM

    love the butterfies... hugs Maria

    ReplyDelete

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