Butterflies and the Art Show

I've mentioned several times the dearth of butterflies in our garden this summer. I've seen a few cabbage whites, a few common blues and I think one single red admiral, and that's about it. It's been a terrible year considering we usually get commas, peacocks, Jersey tiger moths and others.

Well, now I'm seeing articles about how we're not alone. It's apparently been a disastrous summer for butterflies across the country. Some of it might be due to the climate, but according to experts cited in this article, "the declines in butterflies and other flying insects appear to be more than seasonal fluctuations relating to bad weather." As a result, Butterfly Conservation wants a ban on all neonicotinoid pesticides -- Britain and the EU banned them in 2018 but then the UK exempted the sugar beet industry from its ban. So those potent pesticides are flying around once again, instead of our beloved butterflies.

Isn't it amazing that 62 years after Rachel Carson and "Silent Spring," we're still having this conversation -- still waging this battle?

On a brighter note, I made a video to show you more of the community art show at the school where I work. I tried to do it all in one take -- it's not a very big show -- but people kept walking through the gallery so I had to do some splicing. I also tried to film in a way that shows the works but not the names of the exhibitors, for privacy reasons. So this will only give you a taste of what's on display, but it's better than nothing. I added the contemplative Asian-themed music mostly to drown out extraneous sounds of people talking, floors creaking and doors opening and closing, but it seems to complement the art, doesn't it?

You'll see pottery, embroidery, an architectural model, a decorated boom box, a painted pair of sneakers and a wooden sculpture of a jungle cat. And of course paintings and drawings and photography and all manner of wall art, including my very blue picture.

The only piece that gets really short shrift is an installation shown toward the end -- two side-by-side iPads, playing a looped series of videos created by one of our art teachers. The videos are fascinating to watch but I couldn't really capture them in my own short video, so you mostly just see the setup.

Finally, continuing our artsy theme, I created a few "paintings" with my Waterlogue app -- including this one of Olga napping in the garden near the hollyhock, which you'll remember from this post. I think it turned out well.

If Olga is going to do any outdoor napping this weekend, it will have to be this afternoon. We're getting possible rain this morning and then more certain rain tomorrow and Monday. That's OK -- the plants and grass need it!

(Top photo: A folded sticker on the sidewalk on Finchley Road, on my walk home yesterday.)