Yes, it was just a Monarch butterfly, one of the most common members of the Nymphalidae family in North America. And yes: it was just feeding at a plain old sunflower, one of the more common members of the Asteraceae family in North America.So sue me: I spent a few minutes when I should have been grading papers just watching this non-event.
I found the act of butterfly-watching to be peaceful, bringing me a sense of calm in the middle of a hectic day. At least until my Puggle, whose name is Chauncey, decided to thrash about and send the Monarch floating away. Even still, I could not get irritated at the dog in my brief moment of quietude.
