Dragonfly Photographed at My Cottage

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I snapped this dragonfly earlier today with my iPhone on an after breakfast walk with the wonder dog. Honestly, these insects are aliens with gossamer wings, for sure. my photo 

Dragonfly on My Front Walk

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He is still out there basking in the hot sun. The photo straight out of my Nikon was very boring against the bluestone background so I played around with the saturation and a few other things and got this. We don't have any cicadas but I can hear them singing faintly in towns nearby. When you drive through those towns, the sound is very loud. This lone alien dragonfly suits me just fine.
I took my best dragonfly photo back in 2009. Click here to see it.

Ants on Peonies

I've always wondered why ants like peonies but I don't know the answer. They just do. I took this photo just a few minutes ago on this cool Tuesday morning that feels like a Monday. I have to get this show on the road pretty soon because I have to go to an office meeting. See you later. my iPhone photo

Yellow Jacket at Work

This is the third paper nest this year I've had to knock down. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this one going up at the top of the door jamb between my living room and the balcony. That's a little too close to home for me. Doesn't he look positively wicked? The yellow jackets make the gray paper themselves by chewing on slivers of wood. The young are hatched and food is stored in the nest’s center or "core" of hexagonal cells. That's today's science lesson from the cottage. my Nikon photo

Video: The Beauty of Pollination

This is the most beautiful video you will ever see illustrating how insects, birds, and bats pollinate our flowers. Over 24 million viewers can't be wrong. Make sure you are one of them.

Here's the link to watch full screen.