Today was the quintessential perfect Maine summer day. It was a lazy day for me. Coffee on the porch, lawn mowing, puttering in the yard and garden.

Monarch in the Milkweed

My happiest discovery is that Ms. Monarch, who was here earlier in the week did her job.

Monarch Caterpillar in the Milkweed

I discovered my first Monarch caterpillar.

Monarch Eggs on Milkweed

I collected 21 eggs from the Milkweed. It won’t be long, and my Monarch Nursery will be open for business again. 🙂  Last year, the first Monarch caterpillar showed up so late in my garden, there wasn’t enough time for them to emerge as butterflies while the weather was warm.

And I spent an excessive amount of time photographing the Clearwing Moths in the Lavender.

I took almost 500 photos to capture just a handfull of clear images.

They move from bloom to bloom so fast that by the time I have them in focus, they’re moving on.

Clearwing Moth in Lavender - Maine

My favorite images are those as the moths are moving between flowers, their proboscis curled.

Hummingird Moth in Lavender - Maine

Their furry bodies are like little garden fairies.

Clearwing Moth in Lavender - Maine

I’m longing for more days in the garden.