Monarch of Early Fall

When I was young, I could always be found outdoors. I loved animals and there were always a few of them around the house. I remember walking barefoot through the fields every summer, looking on milkweed where you could find my favorite butterfly, the Monarch. I always collected at least one caterpillar a season and watch they're magical transformation into a butterfly. I even have a fond memory of my grandfather sending me a large cardboard box in the mail from his Block Island home. I opened it to find a Monarch butterfly caterpillar along with a few milkweed leaves to hold him over during his travels. It was the best gift he could have sent. Well, a few weeks ago, I was gardening at my parents house and found a Monarch caterpillar. Feeling nostalgic, I took him home and watched this transformation all over again and remembered this blissful memory.