Butterflies And Breakfast

The weekend is a time for a little R & R. After a week of rushing around and working, just let it all hang out and rejuvenate yourself. Ben came over Friday night, worn down from a bad cold. He's 10. One of my 5 grand children. It was my purpose to 'will him well'.

I got up early Saturday morning and rustled into the kitchen and got a cast iron skillet from the oven. Put on some bacon and link sausage to fry...per request the night before. It only took a few minutes for Ben to follow the aroma. He poured a glass of orange juice and sat at the table with an ipod in his hand. I cracked two eggs in a bowl and added some Banana Nut mix and poured it into a loaf pan. I was beginning to feel like Aunt Jemima. I turned the bacon and slid the loaf pan into the oven and went to the front porch to get the paper. Removed the plastic bag and made a tight air bubble and held it in Ben's face. Instinctively, he made a fist and hit it hard. PoP! We laughed. The kitchen was smelling good.

Ben smothered a hot piece of Banana bread with butter. Piled his plate and headed to the back porch. It was cool and the sun was peeking through the trees leaving small triangles of light across the patio. "Why don't we just eat out there?" I suggested. I held the door open for him with my shoulder with a plate in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

The sun was getting brighter, and we noticed a butterfly or two on a poinsettia tree by the patio. Black and yellow. Then the magic started to happen. Dozens of them appeared from nowhere to have a nectar breakfast. They put on a show for us. Chasing each other happily around our heads and over the the house and through the trees. One came in for a close encounter and landed on a chair near Ben, fanned his wings a couple of times and flew away. We were in awe. It was the most joyous thing. I rememberd seeing a shrub in my yard a couple of weeks earlier covered with catapillars. And though I lost all the leaves on that plant, I got to see the beautiful benefits. I hope Ben remembers.

His mother picked him up at 10 o'clock. And I swear his cheeks looked a little pinker, and I think I noticed a twinkle in his eye.

I have two of these trees. Butterflies are drawn to this tree. It blooms almost the year round. It is a semi-tropical plant and can't take the cold weather. I live in Clearwater, Fl., and it grows well from here on down south. It's rare to see one here.

This is also rare. I am the only one in my neighborhood who has one. Nobody knows the name. We call it a Scottish Pipe, because that's what the bloom looks like.

This is the plant in my yard that is devoured every year by catapillars. I leave them there because they turn into butterflies, which I have the year round. If anybody knows the name of this plant/vine, please leave it in a comment.

The leaves are heart shaped. The pod that holds the seeds is a little papachute. The seeds are also heart shaped.