A lesson that I’ve learned over the years is that the best antidote to an unpleasant experience is to do (or plan) something pleasant as soon as possible. That isn’t to say that I am always good at following my own advice; but sometimes I actually manage to.

Just before check-in yesterday,  I discovered that one of our four hot water heaters had broken and that water was running all over the southern half of our basement. After calling my husband and the plumber, I had to haul dripping wet boxes out to the back yard and mop up the mess downstairs. No fun. But afterward, I went outside to photograph the garden and found that my sage plants were covered with butterflies – at least four different kinds. The one pictured below is a Painted Lady. While I wish that the water heater hadn’t broken, taking pictures of butterflies was good stress relief; and in the end, all is well.