Monarchs

A Symbol of Hope

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

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Sadly all up and down the East Coast Monarchs are not being seen at all this Summer. I've seen a total of 3. It appears that because of last Summers drought and severe heat there was an 80% reduction in the total numbers wintering in Mexico.  With our rainy cold spring on the East coast it appears that they didn't recover. 

The Hawk Watch starts this Friday.  I'm looking forward to my mediation time on the Mountain.  I'm also excited to see all my Hawk Watch friends.  When Nature is your religion, every day you are alive is a blessing.

As for my health, according to my GI doctor it's looking like I am having a Candida flare.  I am taking the message to heart that it is time once and for all to stay away from all grains and sugar.  I am currently on the GAPS Diet to try and heal my leaky gut and then I will transition onto a Paleo diet for life.   Cheating on the ancestral diet has lead me to where I am today.  Being sick for months at a time is self abuse.  I am very lucky this hasn't turned into something worse.