Canary in a Coal Mine

Last fall, wandering the Wupatki ruins north of Flagstaff at dusk, I came across this beautiful lone Monarch butterfly. It appeared to be basking in the late day sun, it's wings slowly opening and closing. One of them was torn. Who knows what her journey had been thus far, and where it would take her. 

I haven't seen a Monarch since I was a child.  I felt both blessed and melancholy, wondering if I'd ever see another ...