Spring has sprung...

Hiya
I've not been too well of late, hence the lack of photos and blog posts. But I'm hoping to put a nasty chest virus and arthritic knees behind me soon.
So here comes: first butterfly of the year; nearly the first snowdrops of the season; definitely the first crocuses this spring -- plus a dog and a view, not necessarily in this order:
This monarch [wrong, see comment!! -- it was a Small Tortoiseshell, L: Aglais urticae -- "u." because the caterpillar loves nettles] fluttered past my window. When I went out half an hour later, it sat on the edge of one of the steps in our close (staircase), whence I coaxed it onto my hand. It seemed to like it there, in the sun, staying for quite a while before taking off and coasting away.
Fifteen minutes after this I met a friend for coffee at the fantastic Oban Chocolate Company. The view across a millpond-smooth Oban Bay was dazzling:
Later, in my friend's garden:
Spring has sprung -- wouldn't you agree?