The last few nights have had heavy frost. The temperatures dipped a degree or two below freezing. Nothing in the yard gets hurt until 28.
Yesterday, I walked to the buff early in the morning before the sun had thawed the frost. To walk to the bluff, I pass through a small eucalyptus grove which is always cooler because of the shade of these aromatic giants. In the deep shade, I saw this monarch laying on the ground.
The monarchs cluster together in eucalyptus trees to stay warm. It had been too many nights in a row of freezing temperatures and she had used all her strength. She fell from the trees hitting the ground and making the only sound of her life as the air left her lungs with a soft “puff.” I picked her up and carried her to this patch of sunlight, where she moved for the first time.
Today I looked for her as I walked by and happily she was gone, living one more day.
Head for the Hills 