Great To Be Home

In recent posts I've mentioned that I took lots of exciting photos at the coast, and it would take a while to catch up with blogging.  It was a great feeling this morning to come across a photo OP that completely upstaged last week's photography.  On my way to check the mail, I walked by a tall bush with purple flowers that was exciting the Swallowtail Butterflies and Hummingbirds.  I actually drove home to get my camera in hopes they'd still be there when I returned.  They were.   
When I first looked at these photos on my monitor, I saw another fitting link between Quincy and last week's trip.  At a wonderful bookstore in Pt. Reyes Station, I found Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers.  A part of the Wabi-Sabi philosophy that appeals to me is finding beauty in things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.  How fitting that the butterfly I found to be beautiful has wing damage.  The "tails" at the posterior edges of the wings that give the butterfly its name were gone.  This didn't seem to affect their flight.  They seemed just as agile as the hummingbirds in flitting from flower to flower, occasionally have little turf battles, and providing me wonderful close-up views.  Despite these moments of excitement, I am determined to start posting photos and stories from the coast before this day is over.