Musical Butterfly

I have seen so many butterflies this summer, where I live near Binghamton, New York.

Or maybe I'm just looking out for them, because they make me feel free.

My wildflower expert identifies this as a fritillary, perhaps a great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele). I've only just started to learn about butterflies, and they seem so complicated.

As I listened to music at Sunday's Porchfest, I spotted this butterfly, and followed it through a garden of zinnias. 

I needed those minutes of freedom, to let go to music (where you become part of the music) and then be enchanted by one of nature's little miracles.  I needed those few hours without care, where my spouse and I could wander from street to street.  We ended up listening to one band for over an hour and a half, at the end.  Someone mentioned that the mayor of Binghamton was in the crowd.  I didn't see him but I would believe it.  In small cities, mayors do things like that.

The entire point of Porchfest, where musicians play on neighborhood porches, is to let yourself go, in a family friendly way, and have fun..

Children sell lemonade. People say "hi" to their neighbors. Some streets are closed and vendors gather in the middle of the street.  People ride bicycles everywhere.  It's like a giant block party.

I wish it came more than once a year.

Soon, the dreaded winter will be here.  Today, we have a heat advisory. 

But Sunday, we had butterflies.