Dog and Butterfly

The song “Dog and Butterfly” has been on my mind a lot this week. Never a big fan of that particular Heart song, it is interesting that I can’t get the somewhat sappy song out of my head. I know why it is playing, non-stop, like an endless loop on the old reel-to-reel recorder in my brain. It is because I’ve been walking my dogs through fluttering swarms of orange and black butterflies this week. It is my first experience with the Monarch migration and I love it.

Walking the dogs in the morning and evening at my leisure is a new activity for me. I am newly retired and newly transplanted to San Angelo, Texas which I’ve just discovered is in the Monarch migration flyway. My new home is in a historic neighborhood along the Concho River, peaceful and quaint with beautiful parks and gorgeous homes. This week I feel like I live in a fairy tale. I half expect a bluebird to land on my shoulder and bunnies to hop along beside me, even though I know the dogs would have none of that. They are curious about the butterflies, but have tolerated their company thus far. Which brings me back to the “Dog and Butterfly” song.

Since I can’t seem to get the chorus out of my head I Googled the song lyrics, then I had to Google the meaning of the lyrics. There is much speculation concerning the song’s meaning, but the last verse spoke to me:

Another night in this strange town
Moonlight holding me light as down
Voice of confusion inside of me
No begging to go back where I'm free
Feels like I'm through
Then the old man's words are true
See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft
Ground with a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly

The Monarchs are not alone on their migration. Perhaps San Angelo is my migration flyway too.