Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,
Your house is on fire, your children all gone,
Except little Nan, who sits in a pan,
Weaving gold laces as fast as she can.
According to this site the “Ladybird, Ladybird” song was sung in Britain before burning crops at the end of the harvest as a warning to the beloved insects. The ladybird beetles’ children could heed the warning but the pupae or larvae (“Nan” in some versions) were not able to escape as they were still fastened to the plants.
Gardeners especially love ladybugs (as we call them in the U.S.) for their value as a predator of crop-damaging pests but they are celebrated the world over as insects of good fortune. For interesting ladybug lore, check out this site.
Colorado Springs artist and writer Rhonda Van Pelt took this photo early last June in Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs. As we are about a month ahead this year in growth, I felt this beautiful shot was appropriate for this week.
Rhonda’s “teeny tiny essay” on the photo:
“Sometimes people ask me how I get photos of insects going about their business on flowers. Generally, my hiking/walking buddies don’t even notice the bees or ladybugs until I freeze and focus my camera. ‘It’s easy,’ I say. ‘Just be still and quiet, and let nature come to you.’ ”
Rhonda enjoys celebrating nature through her art and sharing small, quiet moments of beauty with others. You can see more of her work here.
–Sandra Knauf
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