In a spot in the back garden by the coal bunker close to the back door I once planted a buddleia bush.
This year it has been rather magnificently covered in deep purple colour blooms and the warm wet summer has brought out the butterflies which drink it's nectar in droves.
The sun warmed the bush yesterday morning as I stood in front of it with coffee in hand and as Albert stalked through it's branches then slipped heavily, a great whoosh of red admirals, peacocks, cabbage whites and others fluttered up into the air around me, perhaps a dozen and a half all told.
It was a tiny, wonderful little moment
And it was lovely
It is these small moments of glory which, if we take the time to notice, make life holy.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I think, anyway.
Yes, I so look to find these moments.
ReplyDeleteHow delightful
ReplyDeleteMany years ago when I was a smoker. One of the court reporters and I were standing outside the office building smoking. I was a wearing a dark magenta colored dress and all of a sudden these yellow butterflies started just swarming all around me. I just stood there in awe! It was an unbelievable experience that I will never forget! It had to be the color of the dress that attracted them because there were no flowers or anything around the building except hedges. It was amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory to have, Galestorm :)
DeleteIt would be lovely. Is Albert all right?
ReplyDeleteButterflies are one of Mother Natures's best works. They make everyone smile. The world needs more butterflies.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! And I find writing down these moments makes me remember them even better - but then I have a shoddy memory.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely moment in time.
ReplyDeleteLove those moments of 'mundane' magic.
ReplyDeleteSounds special.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIn the US we call this a butterfly bush. My mother planted dozens of them in her garden and this time of year they are covered in butterflies. She just passed away 2 years ago of ovarian cancer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely moment, John. You seem more relaxed and introspective---contemplative?---now that you have retired. As is now you can ''stop and smell the roses'' . sorry about the cliche.
ReplyDeletebtw, weren't you going to ;earn to knit or some such? a competition w a village guy? Now's the time!
lizzy
Magical ... I always think there is something so magical about butterflies. Once in awhile, not often at all, I have had a butterfly land on me .. you forget to breathe when that happens ! :)
ReplyDeleteI think you are relaxing very well .. ttfn ..
Yup. The little things are huge in my world - and that would count as a giant blessing.
ReplyDeleteAll those species of butterflies sharing the same bounty of flowers.... humans should learn from Mother Nature!
ReplyDeleteCommon name for Buddleia is Butterfly Tree. If you take those dead flowers off, it will keep flowering.
ReplyDeleteMagical!
ReplyDeleteMemories are made up of little moments.
ReplyDeleteMust have been a magical sight.
ReplyDeleteWe have two Buddleias that we planted last year and they have been covered in butterflies and bees all Summer, it's our white bush that is looking magnificent.
ReplyDeleteWe also have flocks and flocks of tiny House Sparrows living in our hedges and bushes and naughtily pinching the chicken food as taught to them by their parents, it's bird bedlam here at times.
I love that you have almost managed to capture your 'moment'.
Ten years ago we went camping in the Smokey Mountains. There was a steep trail up to a deep cool pool under a cliff. My sons were paddling in the water and I was sitting on a rock in the shade when my wife told me to sit very still. I was wearing a wide brimmed hat and butterflies had settled on it. That was one of those moments.
ReplyDeleteWow! I don't think I've ever seen that many butterflies on a single bush. I guess our urban environment doesn't lend itself to butterfly swarms!
ReplyDeleteSo very eloquent..explains the whole experience ...which is why I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland, NZ
A moment of zen...love these when they occur.
ReplyDeleteAh, if only we could remember that some of our days are filled with tiny, wonderful little moments.
ReplyDeleteThose moments are the best!
ReplyDeleteButterflies are so plentiful this year aren't they John? I think my darling farmer has come back as a Red Admiral as I have seen so many of them around the farm.
ReplyDeleteA lovely word painting. :) Made me smile.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful. Something you will remember for a long time. Don't you wish we could freeze those moment to share and enjoy over and over?
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate your moments. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think there are more bees this year which is a good thing. I love to see butterflies on buddleia.
ReplyDeleteWe had two cats. Mother and son. Mother a beautiful, graceful and articulate tabby - son a beautiful, massively affectionate if slightly limited in conversation, black.
ReplyDeleteBouncer took the easy way out of life. Till a butterfly caught his attention. An 8.5 kg cat - and no, he wasn't overweight, he was his father's (the swine) son in body shape (think Schwarzenegger) - turning into the Rudolf Nureyev of cats when chasing a butterfly. A dance, its elegance a sight to behold. Luckily (for both the butterflies and me) he wasn't good at catching them. His lower lip occasionally quivering with frustration. Which tugged at my heartstrings - yet sometimes you can't have it both ways.
Lovely moments indeed, John,
U
I love buddleia (or however you spell it) but it is as good at destroying masonry as it is at attracting butterflies. In towns like Bath it is reluctantly seen as an enemy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that moment with us, John!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing the nice recipe.
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