After The Frost
We had an early frost in Oklahoma in 2022, almost a full month before the usual first freeze date. Afterwards, I was struck by how quickly nature tried to bounce back from the shock. Pollinators crowded on the few flowers that survived the cold, butterflies searched out a single bloom in wilted gardens. The contrast in color was dramatic and beautiful: life fighting on in spite of turmoil.
After the Frost - title piece
The frost hit right in the middle of the Monarch Migration, a time when hundreds if not thousands of Monarch butterflies are traveling through Oklahoma on their way to Mexico. Although their numbers are diminishing worldwide, this image shows their strength and perseverance. In spite of the withered landscape, this beauty flittered through the garden, finding food where she could before journeying on.
Sole Survivor
A Silvery Checkerspot lands on the single bloom that somehow survived the frost.
Four's A Crowd
Asters are one of my favorite Fall flowers, blooming long into the season and feeding a variety of pollinators. Here two butterflies, a cucumber beetle and bee compete for what's left of this flower's pollen and nectar.
A Dollop of Sunshine
The browns and faded greens of all the wilted foliage created a perfect backdrop for this Yellow Sulphur, making it seem like a spot of sunshine on a cloudy day.
The Center Holds
The aftermath of this frost somehow made me think of W.B. Yeats' poem, The Second Coming, where all things are falling apart. But I have a more optimistic outlook than Yeats and Ladybugs always symbolize hope to me, a sign that spring will come again.
