This is the shot with the Eastern Black Swallowtails fully on my right ear.

Caron answered my request with her own. I asked her, a new FB ‘friend,’ to share her 5 favorite images of butterflies. She offered up her favorites within minutes. If those are her best, after 5 years of shooting, she is a new, very talented butterfly photographer!! Her talent is best expressed with her Ruby-throated hummingbird images. I saw her name shared along with another good FB shooter, I went to her FB page, and minutes later requested that she accept my FB ‘Friends’ request, I’m glad that she did.

She turned my request back on me, and wanted to see my 5 favorites. Well, I was reminded that it’s easier to ask than to provide.

I didn’t forget her request. Here is one of my responses. I was at the Butterflies & Blooms Briar Patch Habitat I, in Eatonton, Georgia. I was alone, very early in the morning. I spotted a gorgeous Eastern Black Swallowtail hidden amongst perennials. I shot away. Minutes later, nearby, I spotted a mated pair of Eastern blacks. I began shooting them, when Yikes! I heard a loud, familiar voice, calling out to me, and approaching. It was Sylbie. I went Shhh! Shhhhh!

What followed was that word, Serendipity! The coupled swallowtails flew. Sylbie whispered . . . they are on your hat, Jeff. I handed my camera to Sylbie, changed setting to automatic. As she was watching, the coupled beauts moved from my hat, to my upper arm and soon, to my right ear. That’s the female you see, with the coupled mate somewhat hildden behind her. Sylbie shot true, with a steady hand and trained eye.

Caron, I love this pic, the irony of it is stark. I look to most like an academic type, true to some degree, but I grew up on the streets, Brooklyn, New York, and fought my way through life, wearing an earring back then, a good way to get frequent and brutal punishment, maybe daily. Here, though, I couldn’t give a whatever, for this was one of the handful of butterfly moments that teared me up, the connection to Frieda’s A”H loss so poignant.

The guy who carried cold steel in his pocket, through all those years of college, who stood and delivered, when only G-d knows how I came out alive many times . . . Here I am in Georgia, beautiful Georgia, with those of Creation adorning my ear.

You might see the “Jeff’s Earrings” feature, at the top of this post page, to see more of the amazing moments we had.

Thanks Caron.

Jeff