September (Summer-Fall) 2020: Life In Photos, Still Here....

This year has been one of the most challenging that I have ever lived, and I KNOW we’re all feeling that. If you’re struggling, know that you aren’t alone and while it might seem like some are carrying-on as if there is no intensely-charged election or global pandemic, they’re only sharing the positives….we are all human and suffering in one way or another. We need to remember that.

As the autumnal equinox arrives, the Monarchs are leaving. It is a very bittersweet time for me as my summers with them are simply magical moments and I learn more from them every year—but putting that tag on their wings and wishing them the best as they fly thousands of miles is also a special feeling. As I write this I am watching My Octopus Teacher, a simply fantastic documentary film on Netflix. This is a film that every human being needs to watch, and solidifies my reasoning even further why I work with the Monarchs and share them all with you.

Humans need to spend more time interacting with nature. It makes us better people.

This is true for all of us, from those who don’t spend much time outside the walls of our home and for those of us who do spend time being involved with nature. We can all spend more time living and learning from the natural world. A point that My Octopus Teacher makes is that not only does nature teach us to connect with it better, but to connect with each other as human beings better. It is difficult in a pandemic, but we must all spend more time outside of ourselves talking and learning from other people….learning about them, hearing their ideas. If we all did this, there would be so much less hate and the world would be a better place.

That’s as far as I’m going to empty my thoughts today. As far as updates go, I’m hoping to keep content coming. I did not win anything in the Pollinator Photo Contest, but I am excited that such a thing existed and that I could be a part of it. Below is a slideshow of other entries that you should check out:

As the days grow shorter and the weather becomes cooler, I really try to not take any daylight hours or time outside for granted. As much as I love summer for being a season where my plants and the butterflies thrive, fall is by-far my favorite. It is like a chrysalis, a time of change…beautiful change. I don’t spend much time at the Isthmus Path Prairie Garden this time of year without any monarchs to feed, but I make sure to pay a visit with my camera to appreciate the changes there even past its peak. It is still beautiful.

~emily