A neat thing happened last Thursday… I was bringing my big wheelie garbage bin back from the curb after the truck picked up our garbage, and I noticed something swinging just under the handle.

I stopped pulling the bin, set it upright, and took a closer look.

I couldn’t believe it! Another monarch chrysalis!!! And the truly amazing part is that our garbage is picked up and dumped by a big mechanical arm on the truck. It’s not a gentle ride – but that little thread he’s hanging by is super strong!!!

Naturally, I was thrilled to have found another one. The second one on the siding had yet to emerge, so now I had an extra chance to see it happen.

By Friday, the one on the siding had turned dark

It was a work day for me, which wasn’t ideal for butterfly watching, but I checked on it every half an hour throughout the morning. Nothing happened. They usually emerge around mid-morning, but Friday was much cooler (15C/59F), and when the temps are cooler, apparently they wait until afternoon to emerge.

I checked on it as often as I could while still getting work done. Nothing, nothing, nothing, then I came out at 3 pm.

And I’d missed it again!!! By quite a bit this time. Her wings were already fully inflated, and she had moved from hanging on the remains of the cocoon. And see that red smear down the siding behind her? That’s a mix of bodily fluids that they expel, usually about half an hour after they emerge. It looks concerning, but it’s a natural part of the process.

As with the first one, I decided it would be best to move this one away from the catio and the Mighty Monarch Hunter.

About an hour later, she flew away. While happy to have helped another Monarch into the world, I was sad to have missed the event… again! But I still had one more chance with the garbage Monarch!

When Sunday morning came, and I saw that that one had turned dark…

I wasn’t going to miss it again, so I grabbed a chair…

… and I settled in to wait (more on that knitting tomorrow). And wait. And wait.

by noon, I realized this one was going to be another afternooner – even though the day was fairly warm. I set the knitting aside and did some repotting of my house plants, all while keeping a weather eye on the garbage can.

And finally, around 2 pm, it started to happen.

The initial emergence happens quite quickly – probably just a minute or two. Then the monarch just hangs from the chrysalis pumping blood through it’s wings and gaining the strength to fly.

I was so happy to have been able to capture the moment at last. After this, Dave and I popped off to the hardware store to get a few things and grab a bite to eat. It was about 4 pm when we got back, and the Monarch had moved from the chrysalis and was getting ready to take the first flight.

The first flight was a little shaky, and the poor dear ended up inside my open bag of potting soil!

I gave him a hand out of there, and got him settled on the butterfly bush…

…. and continued with my potting. About half an hour later, I went back over to the bush to check on him…. and he flew right to my chest.

He climbed up the strap on my dress….

… and he flittered on my shoulder for about a minute before finally flying off for good – over the fence into the neighbours yard. Perhaps saying goodbye before he left?

It was a magical end to a truly wonderful experience!