MONARCH BUTTERFLIES KNOW WHERE TO GO…SUNNYSIDE BEACH IN SEPTEMBER
alan skeoch
sept. 2019
“Wish you were with us today.”
“Why?”
“An invasion of Monarch Butterflies at Sunnyside Beach”
“Why would they congregate there…it’s a barren stretch of
boardwalk and water.”
“True but there is one small Butterfly Garden between Sunnysdie
Swimming Pool and the Palais Royale….loaded with Monarch
Butterfly right now….”
“Tale a break…take a look…lots of room to park.”
“Beautiful board walk…lovely beach…but looks devoid of life forms other than
the two legged kind.”
“Then suddenly there in front of you is the Butterfly Garden…lots of things
fluttering.”
“This picture looks nondescript until you look clearly and see FOUR MONARCH BUTTERFLYS!!!”
“Marjorie and some others collected seeds.”
“Is that legal?”
“Catch me if you can.”
There are no milkweed plants in the Sunnyside Beach Garden.
“But fear not.”
“Meanwhile, 45 miles away from the Sunnyside Monarch Butterfly ‘swarm’, two young Monarch caterpillars
were chewing merrily at our little milkweed garden. Sometimes these creatures are hard to find Like
this one chewing upside down from under a milkweed leaf. The best way I use to find them is.!!!”
“Is what?”
“Hold on, Alan, your next comment may be in bad taste, better warn any readers. “
“good point. If you are sensitive please do not read any farther.”
“The best way I find to locate a Monarch caterpillar is to look for its’ excrement…that is
how I found the little fellow below…excrement in little brown marbles.”
“Crude, Alan…crude.”
“I Told you not to read if you are sensitive.”
“See if you can find the Monarch below…bet you cannot.
STORY TWO
“Time to pick the crabapples…right now…”
“Some say wait until the first frost.”
“What if they fall to the ground?”
“Best to get them now.”
“Alan, crab apple jelly is a lot of work.”
“I risked my life picking the apples…is that not enough. High on
a wooden ladder that had seen better days…while below me three
old horse drawn mowers waited for my flesh to land on their cutter bars.”
“Alan…you over do comments far too often.”
“Take a look … three rusted out mowing machines hungry for
blood as red as the crabapples.”
“Enough…give me a hand cutting top and bottom, then cutting the little
red apples in half
“What about the worms?”
“Keep that as our little secret.”
“Now boil them up…get the sugar ready…may or may not need pectin.”
“Definitely need bottles…little ones are best.”
“Why?”
“Friends and enemies want to steal the finished product…”
“Will hardly miss a little bottle…but a big bottle of crab apple jelly if
stolen is a tragedy.”
“I thought this story was about Monarch Butterfly.”
“Do you not know the trick …”
“What trick?”
“All writers have a main story and a secondary story going at he same time.”
“Some writers have a whole bunch of stories going at the same time…”
“Only two stories here…less stress on your metal ability.”
alan sketch
Sept. 2019
