I wrestled with a question that I really wish I had been able to ask Rick. I walked our Arroyo Trail while working through it and felt a bit better. All of a sudden a butterfly came close, landed ahead of me, then circled me and went back down the trail. Getting a closer look, it was a black & orange butterfly I had never seen before and it reminded me of the SF Giants! It kept fluttering around me and I began following it up and down the trail, trying to get a picture. And suddenly I felt a greater peace.
I found out it is a Red Admiral butterfly. I walk this trail about 6 times per week with our dog Ted. I usually see larger Tiger Swallow Tails but had never seen this distinctive Red Admiral before. If Rick was a butterfly, he would probably be in Giants colors and be as friendly & playful as that Red Admiral!
2020620
What an awesome day! While driving I saw a cloud that looked like a feather. Although I couldn’t pull over to take a pic, that cloud was not lost on me. Then driving home I saw the ‘thumbs up’ cloud.
And now on Ted’s early evening walk ‘Rick the Red Admiral Butterfly’ came up from behind, circled me and landed in a puddle of sun not once but 4 times! It’s like Rick & I still have our evening walks!
2020625
I have been seeing a Red Admiral butterfly (I call it Rick) at the same spot on my daily Arroyo walk for 4 days in a row. It always flutters around me, landing closer and closer. Yesterday I took this pic (no zoom), it let me hold my phone just 2 ft from it (until Ted got curious).
Today I was focused on keeping Ted from barking at 2 dogs in the adjacent greenbelt as 3 neighbors chatted, so I wasn’t looking for ‘Rick’. Well that butterfly circled and landed on my sleeve! (And I wasn’t wearing anything colorful.) The neighbor that owns the dogs saw the butterfly on my sleeve and exclaimed “I know who that is! Right?!” Such an affirmation for about 3 different reasons today!
2020705
I was proud of myself yesterday. It was the first Saturday where I felt I was truly back in the life that Rick & I treasured so much. I was on the trail later than usual and thought ‘Rick the Red Admiral Butterfly’ wouldn’t be on the path. But the butterfly flew up and around me then landed on a tree branch. He let me put my finger on the leaf and then he put one leg on my finger! It reminded me of how Rick always liked to hold hands. And that little gesture encourages me to post another story- which I will title ‘Hands & Heart’.
Treasure Every Day 