Bravo Hisashi for Great Cat Pictures on Flickr

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originally uploaded by hisashi_0822.

I love kitties. They are all adorable. Thanks to hisashi_0822 for this great photo.

SpiritMama Flickr pics of Monarch Butterfly Hatching

My friend Waxela owns SpiritMama and sells her creations on Etsy. Like Mambo the Clown, a handmade, 18" one-of-a-kind art doll. She also makes cake toppers and bamboo clothing. I met her years ago at an art and music festival in Ashland, Oregon.

She took some amazing pictures of a butterfly hatching and taking its first flight. Here's what she wrote about her experience on her blog:

"I spent my childhood summers catching insects, frogs, turtles, salamanders, toads, minnows, and the occasional snake. I still have some of that curious little explorer in me, so when I found a tiny monarch caterpillar a few weeks ago I was delighted at the idea of watching the amazing metamorphosis happen before my eyes. I was a diligent caretaker, bringing fresh milkweed leaves to my growing caterpillar every day. The payoff happened on the morning when I woke to find the chrysalis about to break open. I took it outside, and this is what I saw..." - Waxela, SpiritMama

Check out SpiritMama's Flickr slideshow of a monarch butterfly hatching here and her blog here.