Monarch Madness

We went to a festival to celebrate monarchs at a local metropark. There were lots of games and lots of people and it was kind of obnoxious in that regard. Initially, we played along. The kids went "fishing."
Then we ventured inside to get in line to enter a room full of butterflies. While waiting for our turn to see the monarchs crowded against the windows on one side, I saw Aleks crawling on the floor. I began to hurry him along, getting irritated that he was on the floor, but then I discovered that he was rescuing a butterfly trapped in a spider web.
It was a Clouded Sulphur, I believe. He ended up rescuing several, in fact, while everyone else pushed busily along in the line, missing this opportunity.
The butterflies were all lovely, but I don't think most of them made it out of that room. So many had damaged wings.
Then we started away from the crowds.

We went to the marsh. Aleks had a close encounter with a mated pair of ducks.
There was an egret out on the water.
Lots of things still blooming, despite Autumn coming on.







We got nets and tried catching butterflies. We spied many, but caught none, scaring a million chipmunks hiding under bushes into running under others.
On the way out, birds were flipping at us. That's exactly what I say the back of my hair looks like when it grows out.
Then out for ice cream.
There were crayons and paper and Aleks made use of them while waiting for his just desserts.
Then deliciousness!

Then we hurried Natty off to work and met AAA back at our house to put the spare tire on our car as we discovered it had a flat on the way out the door in the morning.