I had a dream of walking amongst thousands of butterflies, their wings beating so furiously that the motion lifted my body in the air and away I went, up into the atmosphere.
The reality of my day at Goleta Grove however was quite different from my dream. The morning along the California coastline was in the lower 40’s, and I was wearing shorts.
My research showed that the monarch butterflies cluster together high up in the Eucalyptus trees when its cold. These clusters can look like dead leaves when the butterflies wings are closed.
The morning was a chilly walk through a morning forest full of clusters of dead leaves high up in the branches. Yet, I do not complain as I have the place pretty much to myself.
As the sun warms the forest, the occasional monarch flutters down from a cluster to bask in the sunlight. This happens a few times throughout the morning, each time is its own magical thrill.
I have no expectations when trying to observe Nature in its natural habitat, I just take what the day is willing to show me.
