I have been reading about Monarch Butterflies. They are actually very fascinating. Apparently they really like Milkweed plants. That's where the butterflies lay all of their eggs and where the caterpillars usually become Chrysalis before transforming into the beautiful butterflies we see. Then in the fall they migrate all the way to Mexico, their winter home.
But, that got me thinking... This is September and since butterflies are still being born from what I read, I thought I should be able to find some. So I decided to go on a quest to find some Monarch Cocoons. I figured that I know where the milkweed grows - so I'd take my camera and start my hunt there. It was harder than I anticipated. After several hours when I was about to give up, I saw a caterpillar! Then I saw a second one! It was very cool. So I took a bunch of pictures of them and tried to mark the path so I can go back over the next few weeks and try to get a picture of the chrysalis. Then I'll have the whole life cycle. And just think, these caterpillars I took
pictures of today, will very shortly hang upside-down and build a cocoon around themselves and turn into butterflies that will turn around and fly all the way to Mexico.

No one knows how the Monarchs find their way. They can fly up to 80 miles
in one day. They can fly as fast as 20 miles an hour, and as far as two
miles high. If something is in their way, they fly up and over it instead of
around. Some scientists think that the migrating butterflies can sense tiny
changes in the earth's magnetic field. Amazing.