I am in love with monarch butterflies and have been since I started raising them. While I was in Cades Cove on Friday, I found a patch of white flowers. There were monarchs everywhere! I gasped and almost started crying. It was as if they were dropping out of the sky from nowhere. The monarchs are migrating to Mexico and must have crossed over the mountain and said, “Look, there is Cades Cove! Let’s go there!” Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

When Spring Returns

When spring returns so will the beautiful monarch butterflies. The monarchs have been enjoying a vacation in Mexico where it is warm enough to survive. I can’t wait to raise a lot more caterpillars. This is one of my female monarchs I raised and release at the park. On that day, I released 3 male monarch butterflies, 2 females and hung nine chrysalises. Location: Seven Island State Birding Park, Kodak, Tennessee

Kathy

“Kathy” My newfound friend, Joe, lost his wife to cancer a little over a year ago. He has helped my husband and I in more ways than I can ever explain. Before I went to Joe’s house, I prayed, “Lord, have the butterfly do what you want it to do.” I showed up at his front doorstep with my butterfly cage in tow. His excited grandchildren met me at the door. His daughter was also there. Three beautiful monarch butterflies were in the cage to release. It was a special occasion as one of the monarchs was released for Joe’s late wife Kathy. Joe named his monarch after her. I placed the butterfly on his finger, and it lingered there. It then flew and landed on his daughter’s shirt. The symbolism of the butterfly landing on her brought tears to them both. They miss her so! Thank you, Lord for answering even the littlest of my prayers! Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Time to Fly

Autumn is finally here—I love the cool mornings and evenings. But I have some sadness. The monarchs will be leaving very shortly. I have enjoyed their presence since raising them in the spring. My time will now be focused on other things. It is their time to fly to Mexico; it had to come so they can survive. I look forward to your return! Location: The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Blessed!

I am blessed to be able to raise monarch butterflies. They bring so much joy to my life. When this beautiful butterfly was a caterpillar, he fell while in his J formation. I quickly picked him up and pinned his cremaster to a stick. As you can see, he made it!! Before I took his portrait, I knew he wasn’t ready to fly because his wings were not dry. I moved him from flower to flower–he was such a great model! What you don’t see is my sweet friend Lisa holding back all the foliage I did not want in the shot. She got me started raising God’s beautiful creatures. Location: Athens, Georgia

Mexican Monarch Fiesta

Very soon Monarchs will be having a fiesta in Mexico as they migrate there for the winter. I can only imagine the sight! It has been a very long season for me raising God’s beautiful creatures since April. With their numbers in serious decline, all the long hours are totally worth it! Their numbers have dropped as much as 90% in the last two decades in the U.S. Would you help by growing milkweed in your yard or field and plant a butterfly garden to help them from going extinct? Milkweed is the only food the caterpillars eat. I would love for my grandkids to see them one day!! Thank you!! Location: Athens, Georgia

Forever Free

Aunt June was my husband’s aunt but so much mine as well. Her funeral is tomorrow. She had Parkinson’s disease and I was honored to be her caregiver for a while. Caring for her allowed me to buy the photography equipment I needed. So, I can say thanks to June for helping my photography. Cancer lesions were recently found on several parts of her body. She was just put in hospice two weeks ago. My family drove to Asheville to visit with her last week and say our goodbyes before she passed away at 1 AM the next morning. She loved music and her family. She is forever free of pain and the tolls her earthly body endured. She is with her Heavenly Father because she knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She is probably leading the choir singing in Heaven now. I know I will see her again in Heaven.

His Love for Me

During this difficult time of uncertainty because of the Coronavirus, you can rest assured God is in control. Social distancing is something I’d never heard before this virus. You may be miles apart from your loved ones or feel miles apart from them in your own home. But, God is with you every step of the way. I don’t know what you are going through, but God is greater. ”You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 Brian Littrell wrote a song titled Over my Head. Many years ago, I played it over and over a million times during one of the most difficult times in my life. Through his song, the Lord reached down and literally touched my heart and soul. He showed me the depths of His love for me. 1 John 4:4 It is neat that this monarch butterfly looks like he is giving the flower a hug. In Jeremiah 33:3, it states, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Numbers 6:24-26 states, Jeremiah 33:3, it states, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Numbers 6:24-26 states, “May the LORD bless you and keep you; May the LORD cause His face to shine upon you And be gracious to you; May the LORD lift up His countenance toward you And give you peace.” It is neat that this monarch butterfly looks like he is giving the flower a hug.

Their Journey North

The monarch butterflies are on their way back to the States from wintering in Mexico. I raised many monarch butterflies last year. I also tagged 51 monarchs through Monarch Watch to help understand their migration to Mexico. If you are interested in tracking their migration, Google “Journey North.” A migration map shows real-time sightings of these beautiful creatures. I am so excited and can’t wait to see my first one!

“His Love”

Did you notice the heart on the ladybug? I noticed it while editing the image. Valentine’s Day—some people love the holiday because they have a significant other. Some don’t enjoy it because they don’t have one. They may have even lost their loved one to death. You may not think you are truly loved on Valentine’s Day or any day, but you are. God loves you very much. His love for you is deeper than you can even imagine. Deeper than any human can fathom. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Aldora

This is Aldora—a monarch butterfly. She was a sick caterpillar, and her wings did not form correctly. She did not get a Monarch Watch tag since she will not be migrating to Mexico. She lived her few days to the fullest. I put her on plants to feed but also fed her nectar I made. She enjoyed being in the sunshine! I enjoyed caring for her and loved her so!! Her name means “winged gift from God.”

“Collaborated”

My friend Heather found this snail when we were shooting at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. The snail was a good sport and collaborated with us when we placed him on a poppy pod then this bachelor button flower.

In Memory Of

This is my first time raising gulf fritillary caterpillars. I have 16 chrysalises that will enclose (become butterflies) and 15 more caterpillars. I asked my social media followers if I can release a butterfly in memory of one of their loved ones.

ZEU 853

I released this male monarch butterfly last year in memory of Todd Fielding Cooper who was tragically killed when he was only 16 years old. A small tag was placed on the butterfly from Monarch Watch. His specific tag letters and numbers were ZEU 853. Location: Athens, Georgia

Tiny Surprises

Ladybugs are beautiful creatures. It wasn’t a surprise to me to find the ladybug—my friend Heather found it. What surprised me was seeing a beautiful black shaped heart on his back. I noticed it while editing my photographs. It is just another of those neat God moments found in His nature! Location: The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Clever

Capturing this photo of a snail on a poppy pod was a lot of fun. My friend, Heather and I went to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and she found many critters for us to photograph. This snail was a great model. We put him on the pod and waited for him to come out of his shell. Heather said, “Do you want me to use my purple sweater as a background?” What a brilliant idea! You can even see our fingerprints on the pod. Location: Athens, Georgia

Bottled Up!

The Lord made the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly such a spectacular process! The brilliantly colored yellow, green, and black monarch caterpillar meanders around devouring milkweed a million miles an hour. It then bottles itself up in a stunning chrysalis to later explode into a beautiful butterfly. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature —have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

“New Life”

Raising swallowtail and monarch caterpillars was a privilege. Right before my eyes, I witnessed their amazing transformation into a beautiful butterfly. When a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior, the transformation is more miraculous! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 As we remember Good Friday and the sacrifice of His death on the cross, remember also He rose from the grave. “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6 Happy Easter!

Todd

Todd Fielding Cooper was tragically killed on October 9,1998—he was only 16 years old. Miraculously, twenty years later, on October 27, 2018, we released a male monarch butterfly in his memory. What makes this event so miraculous? I did not know Todd or his mother Anne. Lisa, a friend of mine, knew Anne and brought her over to my house the day we released his butterfly. As we walked into my backyard, Anne pointed to the house behind mine and said, “My parents live there.” Lisa started crying. It was the last place Anne saw Todd alive. He was killed less than one mile from my house. I placed a small circular tag on Todd’s butterfly, which has three specific letters and numbers to track his migration to Mexico. Monarch Watch distributes these tags and the data collected aids in research. Todd’s tag numbers are ZEU 853. It was a pleasure to raise and release a monarch butterfly in Todd’s memory. Location: Athens, Georgia

Passion Lady

Gulf fritillary butterflies are also called passion butterflies. The passion flower is the host plant in which females lay their eggs. The female fritillary butterflies are generally slightly larger, have more brown markings and are usually darker in color. Location: Athens, Georgia