End of September

Take time for a nap, and to smell the flowers!

 

Found this butterfly on the ground near my front door. It must have just emerged, because the wings were still limp. Given a twig to climb up on, it did so, and I put it in the lilac bush, where it hung on and hung it's wings to 'dry'. By evening it was about ready to fly. We did a little research and found it's a black swallowtail, female.  I posted pictures of the caterpillar, below, on 8/29. Her wingspan is about four and a half inches.