The Great Spangled Fritillary…. With Its Proboscis Extended

Hiking the AT was the first time I ever saw these butterfly’s, they
were numerous in Georgia and North Carolina, this little fellow was
drinking the water and salt from my jacket. You know, that tickle you get when you touch someone and get that feeling
That feeling that you just……. Know… like a butterfly licking the salt off your body
with sweet soft sweeps of air as they glide over you…..


When I started out in Georgia I was amazed on how many insects feed
from my body. The first ones I noticed was a large fly that had black and yellow
stripes on it’s thorax. They closely resembled a wasp or yellow jacket. They would follow me
for long periods... buzzing and bouncing, hitting my head at the temple and brow..
could drive you mad.. some things you must block out…

“Let Nature Be Nature”
flying onto my head drinking my sweat, all the time. I also noted that
although there weren’t many feral honey bees deep in the forest of the Appalachians,
but the few I seen would drink the sweat from my arms.