After a week of hiking, horseback riding and a reunion with friends from childhood on my dear friend's ranch in Colorado, I feel well-nourished, body, mind and soul.  It was wonderful to spend so much time outdoors, to breathe the mountain air and behold gorgeous vistas at every turn.  Upon my return I was eager to visit the new exhibit at the Botanic Garden - Butterflies and Blooms.  The exhibit is an outdoor butterfly garden where one can see over a hundred species of butterflies and a beautiful garden display, all enclosed in a 3,000 square foot mesh enclosure.  It is so beautifully done and the volunteers and staff that supervise the butterfly garden are knowledgeable and friendly.  Two hours and 250 photographs later, I tore myself away, knowing that I will return many times throughout the summer.  Bravo to the Garden for bringing such a lovely display to our area for the summer.  Here are a few of the many photographs I took yesterday.

The Blue Morpho has iridescent blue upper wings that are beautiful to behold as the butterfly flutters about.  The minute the butterfly settles, as it often does, it closes its wings, making itself inconspicuous and hard to spot.

Blue Morpho   Blue Morpho

Blue Morpho

Mating Blue Morphos

Blue Morpho

These Blue Morphos had just emerged from their chrysalises and were not quite ready to fly.

A Red Postman on Egyptian Star Cluster Red Postman

A Zebra Longwing

Zebra Longwing

A Malachite Longwing, hanging upside down

Malachite

Painted Lady

Painted Lady

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spicebush Swallowtail

A Buckeye

Buckeye

An open Malachite

Lastly, Sapho Longwings

Sapho Longwing

Sara Longwing/Small Blue Grecian