This is a place were the butterfly is king. And queen too.
And really, when you think about it, what better type of ruler could you have than butterflies?
The place is Elkton, a small town of just over 1,000 people about 30 miles southwest of GroveAtopia and the way I figure it at least half, and probably more of the people who live there work for the butterflies.
That's because besides the bakery, country store, coffee shop, and winery, the biggest thing in town is the Butterfly Pavilion.
I have driven through Elkton many times on my way to the coast, but never had the chance to stop here. But this time I got smart and made it my destination.
What I found was a place devoted to raising butterflies. There were plants that butterflies like. There were warm places for them to lay their eggs. There were greenhouses to raise the plants they like. There was even a stage, which I suppose the butterflies could use to perform on if they wanted to.
Inside there was a man who was tending to the monarch butterflies. He had them in special little netted houses in which they could safely emerge from their chrysalises and be lovingly cared for while their wet wings dried out and they readied themselves for flight. Once their wings were dried they were put in another larger butterfly house to wait until the milkweed and the weather outside were ready for them.
In the gift shop I was told of the many students who would be hired that summer to work with the butterflies, to help make sure everything was just right for them. Clearly this was no small town operation, even though it was in a small town.
The people of Elkton know butterflies. A big part of their little town is devoted to them.
Aren't they lucky? And we are too, because you are invited. Right there on the brochure it says "We encourage you to enjoy our small corner of the universe."
You aren't going to get a better invitation than that.
No comments:
Post a Comment