A most discouraging day

Today I was reminded that, from a butterfly's perspective, cold and cloudy is really no different than wet and rainy.  Traveled 243 miles (roundtrip) to Greenbo Lake State Park, Kentucky, walked 5.1 miles, and saw a grand total of three, not a typo, three butterflies.  On the way home from the nearly valueless trip to Greenbo I swung by Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio.  A fellow butterfly nerd had visited there earlier in the week and had found many Silvery Blues hanging around their larval host plant Carolina Vetch.  I found the correct road, found several batches of Vetch and found a grand total of zero Silvery Blues.  Today was every butterfly nerd's nightmare!
  I was all excited because today was supposed to be dry, which it was.  But, was also chilly and densely overcast.  Butterflies do not mind the chilly part if it is sunny.  For the slightly over two hours I was at Greenbo, the sun shone for perhaps a cumulative total of 15 minutes (during this time is when I saw the three!).  Perhaps the only thing that made the Greenbo trip even marginally worthwhile was the pic below of a Luna Moth, which based on my research may be a Greenup COunty record.  Notice it is attempting to hide under some leaves.  That is what lepidoptera do when conditions are less than ideal, hence the reason my butterfly total today was so skimpy.
  To add insult to injury, some of you have perhaps followed my saga last week about my attempt to greedily hoard Subway rewards points, so that I might eat for free during these ventures.  Learned yesterday the only states that I will be visiting this year that actually accept the points are Ohio and Kentucky.  Well, learned today that is not correct.  Stopped at the Subway in downtown Portsmouth for a late lunch.  In broken Pakistany english, "We do not accept points".  Stopped at the Subway in Lucasville and in more coherent southern Ohio english, "our region does not accept points."  So what the heck is the point in having points if your dining establishments (can't spell restaurraunt) don't honor points!
  Am really starting to rethink my goals for this BBY.  My original species goal of 200 is most likely out of reach.  Have missed my window for several of the early species.  The 200 was going to be stretch anyways, and now with missing several Elfins, several Blues, Grizzled Skipper, Olympia Marble, West Virginia White, and not being able to count Falcate Orangetip (couldn't get a pic), 200 is about impossible.  Today and yesterday I planned my outings specifically in search of specific bugs, and struck out looking.  My personality I think is too adventuresome.  I like to see new places.  I like to land county records.  So far, when I go someplace looking for something specific I fail.

  Of course, I still want to see as many species as possible, but i think I will focus my efforts more so on underserved areas, areas which seem to not have been studied as thoroughly.  300 mile trips with failing to get the bug you sought is depressing (and expensive, paid $4.15 a gallon today).  With this in mind, tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous.  I would rather spend my time looking for, and hopefully seeing, butterflies, rather than driving.  So, rather than going to se PA, I think I will run over to Salt Fork State Park near Cambridge.  Have never lepped there but have done lots of wildflowering.  There are also many trails through a variety of habitats.  I think I may still have a chance at West Virginia White there as its host plant Cardamine diphylla grows there.