Father’s Day Butterfly

2012-06-17 18:12:28.000 – Samantha Brady,  Summit Museum Supervisor

Marissa & the Butterfly

It has been yet another beautiful day up here at the Observatory.With the warm temperatures and the light winds comes along lotsof visitors. Not only do we have swarms of people from all over the worldvisiting Mount Washington, we also have swarmsof bugs. As much as folks don’t enjoy most of the insects, there is one typethat many do enjoy, and that is the butterfly.

While visitors were heading off the Cog to enjoy the sceneryand to learn the history of the Mount Washington Observatory, one visitor, ayoung girl named Marissa, stepped off the train, only to have a beautiful Papilio Glaucus(butterfly) land directly on her. Marissa was not afraid, but rather very enthused.Marissa was accompanied by her older brother and mother who was justas excited about this butterfly.

Thereafter, in talking with Marissa’s mom, I found out that her grandfatherhad just recently passed, and there was some significance with butterflies andher grandfather’s passing. With the landing of the butterfly on Marissa, they decidedit was ‘grampy.’ The butterfly did not leave her side the entire time she was down inthe museum. It walked across her neck line, onto her back, and up her arm. Itflew off a couple times, only to then land directly on her brother.

While Marissa showed off her new friend, others stood by inthe museum to take photos of her and the butterfly, which she now believed washer grandfather watching over her. Marissa stood here while others circledaround. She described what color it was, how big it was, and, if you touch it,how you must be careful, because it already had hurt its wings.

With that being said, the best part of working up here isseeing and meeting all of the visitors, humans, animals, and insects around. I’d haveto agree that if that were a sign from Marissa’s grandfather, Father’sDay was a great day for it! I am sure she will remember this experience formany years to come. As will I.

In Memory of Claude Leclercq

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Samantha Brady,  Summit Museum Supervisor