a Butterfly stroke transcendent moment--an "A-ha!" moment?

An "A-ha!" moment?  Maybe it was just a transient moment.

I warmed with 150 yd of freestyle, 200 yd of flutter kick, some one arm skating freestyle drilling (~200 yd) more freestyle and began butterfly drills.

First dolphin kick drills breathing every other kick, at first angling up to ensure that I got my mouth above the surface to breathe, and eventually letting myself go forward naturally to rise for a breath.  In effect, reducing the up and down motion, making the dolphin kick stretch in the direction of motion.  Surprisingly, I could breathe just as well.

Second, stone skipper drills (fly stroke, arms in the water with recovery under water), trying the same strategy.  Keeping my head in neutral position until it broke the water surface--only then extending my neck to bring my mouth out to breathe.  Timing emergence of my head later in relation to the pull by the hands. In my version of this drill my hands/arms remain submerged. I concentrated on having my torso horizontal for the propulsive phase of the pull.  The object is to raise the level of the dolphin kick to allow my head to emerge and sneak in a breath while still propelling myself forward.  Instead of climbing up for a breath, I was maintaining an undulating form and breathing during that phase of the stroke when executing the pull.  I most likely have this completely wrong about the timing of the breath.  It feels right for me but I should watch fly races in the Olympic games. 

Third, one arm fly drills, emphasizing undulation and forward movement.  Breathing deep during the arm pull, not at the beginning of the arm pull.  Doing the drill like a human mimicking a swimming snake.

Fourth, during all drills, not worrying so much about getting the breath. 

One issue on which I have no clarity is how sometimes, when taking a breath, a wave of water would greet my open mouth, not only depriving me of air, but also a ready entrant to my windpipe.  Requires further study.

The other "A-ha!" moment came for my freestyle stroke, when I figured how to breathe as well on the left as on the right.  I didn't have my head angled for breathing on the left as for the right.  It just takes a few thousand hours of in the water to figure these things out. 

How many hours?  I didn't keep records of my pool sessions.  Conservatively guessing 150 sessions a year for 15 years at an hour per session gives a total of 2250 hours.  Not 10,000 hours, but enough to start getting a few things right.  Maybe.