Dear Reader:

Waking up yesterday morning to the sound of rain … just starting to hit the ground, was music to my ears! I dashed out and made sure my new milkweed plant ( ” manna from Heaven” for monarch butterflies) was in a good spot to pick up the rain… one of my purchases from the Walterboro Farmers Market.

Monarch butterflies will soon be migrating through South Carolina … as they do each Fall … they prefer the lowcountry’s coast… island hopping at its best!

Monarchs’ wingspans are about the size of a baseball-during their long trek south they practice cruising-flapping only when necessary. They want to conserve energy for the challenging flight-the peak of their migration is from late October to November.

The beaches and islands get to see an amazing number of monarchs as they head across North America to Mexico and the Caribbean islands…stopping along Lowcountry beaches to juice up on nectar.

When the Ya’s reconvene-usually in September or October at Edisto-we certainly get our share of monarch sightings! Sometimes ( if we are really lucky) you can see a milkweed plant covered in orange and black…called a ” communal roosting.”

The Wildlife Center at Cypress Gardens is a designated ” safe haven” for the monarchs, as well as, Brookgreen is a certified monarch waystation-Whispering Monarchs. ( fields of milkweed plants are grown to feed the monarchs on their migration. )

The South Carolina yellow swallowtail is our state butterfly-symbolic of grace and the best of the human soul and spirit.

… and speaking of ” spirit” and ” faith” … I shook my faith box and selected this faith directive for Monday.

So until tomorrow… I can’t think of a better piece of advice to start off a new week than simply showing up for life bringing your self with you! Faith # 1

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh