Last week I went to Faust Park, home to the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Butterfly House. I picked a good day to go, because there had just been a huge Blue Morpho hatch. There were hundreds of these little critters fluttering about. These butterflies have a two-toned color scheme. The top of their wings is a brilliant iridescent blue, while their bottoms are a mottled brown, with distinctive “eyes” for camouflage. When they fly about, usually at eye level or below, their bright blue side makes them pretty to watch as they brush close by. Small children often are frightened by these frequent near misses, but the Morpho butterflies seem unperturbed by these close encounters. When they land, they immediately fold their wings together, presenting their camouflaged side. This behavior made it difficult for me to get a photo of their blue side, but I persisted and was able to get the above picture. There were many other species of butterflies in the house too, but their numbers were dwarfed by the number of Blue Morpho butterflies. In addition to the butterfly house, Faust Park also features a merry-go-round. It is a gorgeous structure and was a big hit with the small children, who loved riding it.
“But he persisted”
Well done!!
Thanks Karen!
That’s not just any merry-go-round; it’s the carousel that was originally at the Forest Park Highlands. In 1963 the Highlands burned to the ground, except for the carousel. It was restored and installed in a climate controlled in Faust Park. I think most, if not all, of the county elementary schools had their annual end-of-year school picnics at the Highlands and I would always ride the carousel at least a couple of times. I’ve been to Faust and it was very nostalgic to see the carousel again, and of course I had to take a ride on it!
Great comment!
Thank you. I really loved riding that carousel!