23 September 2008

simple pleasures

Here are some reasons why, if you are ever in Lawrence on the last Saturday of the summer, you should pull yourself out of bed before dawn and go straightaway to Monarch Watch's annual monarch tagging event at the Baker wetlands:

-everything (including gigantic, icky spiders and their intricate, icky webs) will look enchanting when the sun rises and the dew glistens like crazy.

-you will see monarchs in unbelievable quantities. and you will be amazed that in all your life you had never really noticed how lovely they are.

-there aren't too many things more precious than seeing a toddler chase after a butterfly with a net, and there are few things more hilarious than seeing your husband do the same thing. there will be a few good laughs at the expense of random strangers. do you need a lesson on how not to take yourself too seriously? then boy is this the saturday morning activity for you.

-if your timing is just right, you will be nearly trampled by two large male deer. this will be alarming in the heat of the moment but will provide a great story for later. so, all things considered, still a perk.

-you will stalk and catch butterflies for hours, and it will never get old. you will still oooh and aaah at each one. to the end of the day, you will still giggle every time you throw one back into the air and watch it fly away to Mexico.

4 comments:

jen said...

Okay that picture made me feel like the whole thing was a Utah intramural. Funny sports you guys have out there.

Lisa Johnson said...

Love it! Maybe some day when I make it out there we'll come for this fun event! I love the picture with the net above the tall grass! I'm glad you didn't get run over by the deer!

Holly said...

It would have been hilarious to watch you two chase after butterflies.

Kirby and Tara Farnsworth said...

Glad to see that you put that Utah shirt to good use, along with your KU hat—Brilliant! And I just can't help thinking this post would make a great advertisement for the Monarch Watch's annual monarch tagging event. Sounds cool, maybe someday we’ll make it there.