Summer Visitors Leaving Pemaquid Point for Wicked Long Trip South

I was down the peninsula at Pemaquid Point this morning showing a couple of homes, putting an "Under Contract" sign up, dropping off some liquid refreshment in the fridge for a client who is getting in late, checking on a door at another listing when I saw hundreds of Monarch butterflies while at  40 Seawood Park, a listing I share with Anne Bourne. It was spectacular with this one bush covered with all sorts of brightly colored insects flitting from one flower to another. This picture doesn't begin to do the scene justice because despite what the guy at the Apple store will tell you IPhones are not every bit as good at taking pictures as my Canon G11. Besides that it is nearly impossible to focus on one of the little buggers because they are flying all over the place sucking up nectar so that they can FLY TO MEXICO. Strange but true. To step into my Cliff Claven shoes for a minute the Monarch butterfly will travel 2,500 miles making it the longest migration of any insect. From what I understand from a friend from New Harbor every year about this time the Monarch Butterflies congregate around Pemaquid Point before they launch themselves on their trip south. For those folks heading back to their dreary non-Maine existences that have a ground migration of several hours you should suck it up because a Monarch Butterfly takes more than two months to go from Pemaquid Point to whatever beach front resort they hole up in until their summer rental is ready for them again.

It really is amazing and if you have a chance you should head down to the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse area and see if the Monarchs are still gathering.

And on another note, just so no one gets the idea that my day is all about butterflies, beer deliveries and putting up "Under Contract" signs, I walked into this monster when I walked through a door as wasn't looking where I was going. I never knew spiders could make such a high pitched squeal when you walk into them but then again maybe it was me. I like spiders but only when they are in a documentary sucking the life out of some poor grasshopper. I don't think this guy is migrating anywhere because I could have sworn he or she was following me out to the car. But I was running and shrieking so who knows?