I was so happy to spot this flitting about the flowers on Sunday...but after watching it for a couple hours, it flew out across the road. I am almost certain that it was hit by a passing car.

Is that a Monarch, Gazania?

It is a Monarch. The only one I have seen this year. It was here long enough to have deposited eggs on the milkweed. I will be keeping watch for caterpillars.

The daylilies are still the stars of the garden. They are loving all the rain we've had.

I saw one Monarch the other day. I keep checking my milkweed (mostly looking for aphids), but nothing so far. The flowers seem to be a long way before they bloom.

I've seen several monarch caterpillars this summer. Captured one and kept it in a covered vase until it went into a chrysalis. Then I took the lid off, and about 10 days later it had emerged and apparently flew away. (Sorry if photos are previously posted.)

The gold trim around the chrysalis is beautiful. (Blurry in my poor photo, but it looks like little gold beads.)

This Gray Fox in my yard was chowing down on sweet cherries that had fallen.