Yesterday morning, the tree in our backyard was full of butterflies. I’m not sure what kind of tree it is. Every spring it’s covered with fragrant, cream-colored blossoms. When the wind blows, they fall to the ground until it looks like snow underneath.
Up to now I’ve been pretty strict about having school in the morning and playing in the afternoon. But with last year’s heat wave, I decided to try switching the schedules this spring. So, late yesterday morning, we went outside and found this beautiful tree filled with butterflies of all kinds.
Most flew from blossom to blossom, drinking in the nectar. Some wheeled around each other in a dizzy dance, spiraling into the distance. Some fluttered across our yard. My kids, enthralled, tried to chase after them and failed. A couple of my kids took a lawn chair and tried to get high enough to tempt one onto their finger. That also failed. But they enjoyed the trying.
Amy Keeley 