Wednesday, May 6, 2009

APRIL INTO MAY...5


After its' aerial acrobats show, this dragonfly decided to get a closer look at his/her audience. All around me it glided, hovering in the breeze... several times within a foot or so of my face. Finally choosing a grassy patch to rest upon within a few feet from where I was sitting on the dock. I took that as an invite for a photo shoot! I proceeded off the deck onto the grassy bank and started clicking away...each time stepping closer...still clicking. At this point, Bandit and Patches (my cats) joined me. I saw Patches in the crouch position ready to leap...I yelled no and quickly placed a firm hand down on her back. She coiled back to me...not happy. I quickly placed my hand firmly down on her again...it was too late. Out from under my hand she leaped...she had another prey in her sights as she kept going...not my winged performer. But, with the initial landing of her first pounce, she landed on my dragonfly. I was horrified! I slowly walked up to the dragon...its' head lower to the ground.. appearing to still be intact, yet, motionless. I ever so softly stroked the length of its' body...thinking what a shame this beauty cannot enjoy life anymore. Amazingly, the small head slowly raised and fell...




and then it raised and turned to look at me. Thinking that maybe I'm causing more pain, I stopped my gentle strokes and placed my open palm about two inches on the ground in front of him/her. Slowly...the dragonfly walked to and onto my hand.

(reminds me of sheer stained glass)



All in all, we bonded for maybe fifteen minutes. I took a seat back on the dock, the dragonfly walked all over my hand, then on to my thighs, climbing up my shirt towards my face...which I then put my hand out for it to climb back on...it did. Of course, the whole time I'm talking to this small creature. No...don't worry, I didn't hear a little voice answering me back!





It was tough taking photos so close as I held it. After viewing the many captures I took, I think there was damage to its' leg. Dragonflies catch their prey from above and use their legs in a basket formation to carry the prey. I hope this one pulls through o.k. It finally spread its' wings and took off, circling me a few times, landed once again on my shirt ...looking up at me...and then flew off to enjoy life.







Peek-a-boo?! ...um...I see you. This damselfly wouldn't be good at Hide-n-Seek either....too cute, huh?!

























In an aching need to see flowers and more color surrounding me...my husband came through with a surprise of three baskets of Pansies. Pansies are real eye candy at this time of the year... deep yellows, royal purples, dark and chiffon blues, just to mention a few colors. Enticing our senses... an appetizer... for more blooms to come this summer.











































This dainty damselfly was the first of the season!


















Two Japanese Willow trees and five or six Japanese Willow bushes grace our pond. I absolutely love these willows...they sway with every breeze...they keep pace with the rippling surface of the water every time the breeze picks up. New growth is the prettiest...sheer layers of new leaf in shades of salmon pink nestled among the mottled cream and green leaves.


















Everything is beautiful...in it's own way. At least that's what the song said!



















What a beautiful sight! After many sunny afternoon rendezvous with the male, this female Springtime Darner deposits her eggs.









































Strawberry blooms are peeking out
The petite Muscari are all showing off their Spring blue bonnets.
A Dogwood bloom...

Up close and personal with a mature Dogwood tree growing in the wild, this is the view. Beautiful creamy blooms reaching towards the blue skies...ahhh...Spring!





















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43 comments:

Amila Salgado said...

What drama with that teneral dragonfly! If you look around you where you found it, you should hopefully be able to find its exuvium. Don't encourage the cats to follow you when you go chasing dragons next time!

I enjoyed all your beautiful photographs, especially the one showing your pond. The damselfly is cool too. Good to see you enjoying the camera.

Sunita Mohan said...

Phew! That was a close call for Mr. Dragonfly. I love those shots of its wings.
And the peek-a-boo damselfly made me burst out laughing :D
Spring really has got to you hasnt it?

flydragon said...

Hi Spooky,
Once again it's great to play catch-up with all your gorgeous photos. I did notice a dragonfly in my yard a couple of days ago, but it didn't land anywhere near me in order to get a pic. Your's are just terrific!!!

FAB said...

I was totally enthralled with your encounter with the Dragonfly. The clarity of the cell construction of the wings is amazing & as you say just like stained glass.
Great to see all those wonderful pics of spring blooms. I can tell that you are enjoying this new season. Lol FAB

MyMaracas said...

I'm so glad your little dragonfly friend was able to go on. Your connection with the natural world is amazing, as are your photos. And ... shhh, don't tell ... I talk to nonhuman beings too. Plants, even.

Unknown said...

Beautiful pics, I love DF's too. Have a great Mother's Day....Brooke

合田學 (上坂眞信)  said...

待ちに待ったWISHNIK WOODSへの春の訪れ、私はとても嬉しく思います。
私は、毎日必ず貴女のブログを訪れ、新しい記事がアップロードされるのを待っていました。
合掌。

Coming of spring to long-awaited WISHNIK WOODS, I feel very glad.
I visited your blog by all means every day, and I waited for a new article to be uploaded.

合田學 (上坂眞信)  said...

蜻蛉の美を伝える素晴らしい写真です。常人が写せる技ではございません。私は貴女の写真を初めて拝見した時から、貴女の天性を感じていました。今回の写真を見て、再確認した次第です。
合掌。

It is a splendid photograph conveying the beauty of the dragonfly. There is not it by the skill that an ordinary man can copy. I felt your nature since I had a look at your photograph for the first time. To see this photograph, I reaffirmed it.

Kat Wolfdancer said...

Happy Mother's Day! I so loved your story about your Dragonfly encounter, what a gorgeous creature... stained glass in motion. May your day be Blessed.

>^,,^<

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Amila...There are many exuviae around the ponds' edge...sadly quite a few that didn't fully emerge, too. We've had many hard rains and some cooler days in the past couple of weeks, that probably didn't help matters. My cats...they aren't encouraged for walks...they insist on the walks! Many times I'll be photographing and...bam!...right up against my leg...there goes that shot! I have seen quite a few damsels, but only two different types of dragons. I saw maybe five of the same dragons as this injured one. No attempt at I.D. yet.

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Sunita...My young damsels are hilarious trying to photograph! I'd vear to the left...they would scoot to the right...I then moved right...they'd move left. They just couldn't hide those bulging eyes! I'm enjoying Spring in between the rainstorms, extreme wind and cooler days...soon...I'll be complaining of the heat!


Hi Flydragon...I still have the demons in my computer! I'm glad you stopped by and enjoyed the photos...I wonder if your dragonfly was a Springtime Darner? It's a large dragon and one of the first to appear in the season...hence its' name. Let me know if you photograph one!

Hello Frank...Spring could not get here fast enough! The wings are just gorgeous, especially glowing in a sunbeam. On that same day as my encounter with the dragon...I held out my hand to a damsel and she landed for just a minute or so. My photo of her was quite blurry, but it was a wonderful feeling...now... why don't I feel that wonderful when a spider wants to bond?!


Hi Vicki...You know, it sounds crazy to some, but talking to non-humans calms me. I imagine that it calms you, too. Hey, I think more people talk to the creatures in the wild than they'd like to admit. There's far worse in life, right?!....for the record...I don't go into full blown conversations!


Hi Brooke...Thank you, and Happy Mothers' Day to you, too! Thanks for dropping by and I will pay a visit to you as well...you gotta love a dragonfly!


Hello Pseudothemis...Thank you so much for your kind comments! Spring is here, but we are wishing for a bit warmer weather. We've had many hard rains and cooler weather...I fear that I may have lost many dragons yet to emerge. Our watershed is large, so our pond easily overflows through the large drain pipe necessary.

I had the pleasure of a damsel land on my hand...the same day that I held the dragon!


Hello Kat...It is so nice to hear from you! I hope all is well with you, and I trust you are enjoying Spring as well!


TO MY NEW FOLLOWERS... I'd like to thank you for following! I am sorry, but, my followers don't always show for me on my blog or dashboard (only the numbered count). Recently, they aren't showing, so I have no idea who you are..but...thank you!

JGH said...

I don't know many people who can say they've pet a dragonfly - what an opportunity! And all of your photos are stunning, as usual!

Unknown said...

Beautiful series on the dragonflies. I particularly liked the images of the damsel fly on the lily leaves in the water

Lona said...

I am so glad your dragonflies are back to the pond. I love the picture of the texture of the wings and the little eyes that are not quite hidden on the blade. Your pansies are so pretty. Love the colors. Great shots as always.

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Lona...Thank you, I'm happy the dragons are back, too. You are only a couple of counties away, I wonder if you had the amount of rainstorms as we have had the past couple of weeks. I worry that many of my damsels and dragons have been washed away. It seems last year at this time I saw more. By the way, my hubby surprised me with a Bluebird house (after hinting...Lona has them in Hocking Hills...I sure wish we had Bluebirds!) No Bluebirds yet!

spookydragonfly said...

COUNTRY CREATIVE MOM...I have visited your blog four times, yet each time I want to comment, this pops up...Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and must close. I'm sorry that I can't comment there, but I can here! I enjoyed all of your blooms...so many roses! I really love the colors of the Painted Moon rose. I've been tempted to purchase the Wine and Roses Wiegela in the past, as I have the full size version Wiegala...very pretty. Enjoyed my visit!

Anonymous said...

Your photos are beautiful. They are all so dramatic. Great job.

spookydragonfly said...

Theegggather...Thank you for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos...now that Spring is here, it's great to be able to explore the outdoors,(without 2 coats, 2 hats, scarf, gloves, 2 pair of socks, boots...long underwear...). Happy Spring to you!

ShySongbird said...

Such stunning photos and a fascinating story about the dragonfly, I was holding my breath that it would survive! Yes the wings really did look like sheer stained glass.

All your photos are just beautiful.

spookydragonfly said...

Hello ShySongbird...Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy seeing my little wonders here in the woods. I'm telling you...I think I STOPPED breathing for a second when Patches landed over the dragon. Then again, I get pretty upset when I see any creature hurt. The damsels and dragons really are such a relaxing sight around the pond on a sunny day. Thanks for popping by!

spookydragonfly said...

Hi JGH...Ever so briefly was this dragon a "pet"...it was quite an experience. I truly hope this one survives its' normal life span. I've seen lots of damsels, only a few dragons. With the upcoming warm weather, hopefully there will be more dragoflies!

Hello Thomas...Thank you, that female dragonfly depositing her eggs on and around the lilypad was a real treat for me. I looked for my Darners all day to no avail. As I was looking at my lilypads for any sign of a bloom, she just flew in front of me and did her thing! It was quite breezy, she was struggling and so was I!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

SD: Beautiful captures, I have seen a few fly-by dragonflies but nothing like this. I can't believe it walked onto your hand.

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Fishing Guy...Thanks, I was surprised that it chose to walk onto my hand, too. The whole time it was walking on me, I was thinking to myself...NOW what do I do with it? Thinking it couldn't fly...where do I place it? I couldn't have been happier once it flew. So far, I've seen more damselflies than dragons. Only time...

Anne said...

Just beautiful pictures Kim. I feel like I'm right there in the woods.

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Anne...Thanks, but....Congratulations once again on your new grandson! I'll bet you're wishing he's in your arms at this very moment!

ByLightOfMoon said...

I had the landing experience with a dragonlfy too and it is very special to me still. I keep waiting for another event as that one returned several times. One Day!
Smiles, Cyndi
Great Photos!

spookydragonfly said...

Hello Cyndi...It makes my heart soar when they land on me, some are more approachable than others. This particular dragon walked onto my hand, though. But...it did come right back, briefly. Today I had to literally "rescue" a dragon trapped in between two layers of chicken fencing...that's for another post...long story! Thanks for visiting and I'm going to see if I can get to your blog...loading issues!

Pat said...

You have comments back...yay !!
Love the picture of the dragon fly wings. Your photos are amazing.
The lily pads in the pond looks so tranquil.
What a wonderful time of the year !

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Patsi...Thank you, we waited so long for Spring and now it's almost June...time flies. I have 10 waterlillies in bloom right now, we weren't sure if they'd overwinter. They are so brilliantly colored, that when I view the photographs up close, they look as if they're painted!

joey said...

It's been way too long for a visit, dear Kim ... stunning photos of spring! Happy June :)

spookydragonfly said...

Hello Joey...Thank you for stopping by. I haven't been blogging much, way too many troubles with this connection and/or settings. It takes the fun out of it. Just yesterday, I noticed that some of my letters in my subtitles on my blog are incorrect now, that... I believe is Google/bloggers fault. Never the less, I can't change it. Still can't see my followers.

BUT...June is here and I am enjoying the warmer weather whenever I can. I will try to visit you, Joey.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

SD: What a neat story and wonderful photos of the dragonflies and flowers.

Jan said...

You have the most beautiful photos, Kim! I just love how you capture those dragonflies & damselflies! I hope you are enjoying your summer! Take good care;-) Jan

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Fishing Guy...Thank you, although I'm sure you'd appreciate more stories of our Bass, Blue Gill and whatever else swims in that pond! I know my husband has some of those, "THIS BIG!" fishing stories!

FAB said...

Hi, I've just popped back again to let you know there is an AWARD on my blog for you. Please check it out (connection permitting of course!). Lol Frank.

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Jan...I am enjoying the season, and of course, my dragonflies. Already mid-June...time does fly! I tried visiting you a few days ago, but your blog wouldn't fully load. I will try again!

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Frank...Thank you so very much for thinking of me! I appreciate that... not sure if I can pull off grabbing that award, etc. I know I have two others that have been kindly given to me that I still haven't been able to place yet.

Anonymous said...

Been missing you. Things should be lively aorund the pond because of summer. Hope all is well.

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Donna...Yes, the pond is THE place to be if you're a critter. My blogging and posting days have been limited...my connection issues are atrocious anymore. I'm tired of the battle! Nice to hear from you again.

Lona said...

Hey Kim! Girl are you all right?? Have been missing your postings and those beautiful pictures.
Lona

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Lona...I'm here, let's just say...life is happening. I've been trying to put together a post. My blog is so far behind, due to the problems I've been experiencing, I have so many captures I want to post in my journal here. I hope you're enjoying the start of summer, I'll pop over and pay a visit.

Anonymous said...

Hi Spookydragonfly, you have an award waiting for you over at Green Desert when you get a chance. :)

spookydragonfly said...

Hello Mo...Thank you for thinking of me! To be honest, I have a few other awards that have been kindly given to me that I have been unable to grab and post yet. But I certainly will stop by and attempt to grab it! Thank you!