Everything, EVERYTHING is covered in butterflies when they migrate - the oyamel fir trees, the logs, the leaves, the grasses and the shallow pools of water on the forest floor in Michoacan State in Mexico become festooned in Monarch butterflies. The butterflies fly for 3,000 miles - imagine a butterfly, a BUTTERFLY flying 3,000 miles (that is about 150 miles a day for about two months). And those 200 million pairs of orange, white and black wings set off in August every year and the first ones begin to arrive in Mexico in November. The last ones arriving in March.
The monarchs love the pine forests where they find all they need for their mating rituals. And if you are lucky enough to visit try to be as quiet as possible and you will see the incredible dance of the butterflies, their orange and black wings a wonderful contrast to the bright blue Mexican sky.
The arrival of the first butterflies is around the same time as the famous Dia de Muertos celebrations in Mexico at the very end of October and first few days of November.
My fascination with butterflies started with my grandmother in her garden where they fluttered lazily over her flowers all summer long. It was many years later that I designed my first butterfly set with pink sapphires and diamonds inspired on the billowing peonies in the garden.
