Blue Dasher

yay!! he's a beaut, eh?

i wish mr. vince could'a been here, he'd taken a much better shot! i'm purty pleased with 't though. the best out'ta hundreds i've taken this summer :) he's a beaut fer certain. i get really 'xcited 'bout brightly colored critters out here since most 're jest shades 'f browns 'n greys. dragonflies, spiders 'n turtles... the menfolk thought 't most humorous to torture me with such.

@JudyEv i need to start usin' the tripod coz i've sure got the wobblies! i bought a remote thingy so's not to cause shake fer such. 've yet to get't all figured though when i've tried.

@crazyhorseladycx I doubt Vince could have done better. By the time he set up the shot the dragonfly could have been in the next county!!!

aint he though? such strikin' blue colorin'. i've great hopes to catch one 'f the green darners 'fore summers end. i've seen 'em, e'en 've taken pics - but 'twas not shaded 'nough fer their colors to 'pop'.

@crazyhorseladycx It worked out anyways.

@wolfgirl569 yes ma'am :)

want the truth?? 'fter 2 months 'f stalkin' these lovely critters, i'd come 'nto the house to tend other thingies. 's i 'twas shuttin' the back door, i saw 't from the window. snuck back outdoors to get the shots, lol. so i reckon restin' paid off, the rest 'twas jest 'xercise .

yes, most fortunate to get a few pics taken 'fore 't flew 'way.

@crazyhorseladycx No problem, I got to see the pic and that's what counts. The dragonflies here are just the ordinary brown/blackish ones.

aint he one handsome fella? thanks much, ms. karen. my 'pologies fer not puttin' such when ya asked 'bout 't - but figure 'tis a miracle i recalled 't all, lol. ya ought'a see a diff'rent species i got thursday! nary a clue what such's called 's what i see 'n looked'p don't seem to be the same critter?? the one that popped'p 'tis endangered 'n supposedly hails'n other parts, not here. then 'gain, perhaps they're movin' this way?? hope i recall to send'n email/ pic to the research folks 'n let 'em figure 't out. 'd be fabulous if'n they've 'ndeed migrated elsewhere 'n doin' well.

@kareng aw, so kind! 're those the ones with the large dark spots'n their wings??

@crazyhorseladycx true. but a lot did it when I was a youngun

yes ma'am, mighty handsome fella. i prefer such to the wasp that seemed mighty 'ttached to me today, lol. i don't find such's funny, but 'xtremely cruel :( no young'uns should be brought'p with fear.

@crazyhorseladycx Thank you so much for sharing the picture! And blue is my favorite color!

'tis sure a most strikin' fella. 'fter o'er 30 yrs 'f fearin' 'em, i see 'em clearly. 'lways delighted to get a decent pic. yup, they're magical :)

@divalounger yer welcome :) 'tis my sweet momma's 'n some others here, too!

@crazyhorseladycx True, better having stung eyes than being taken away to be eaten in the mountains. Assuming that dragons live in mountains, I've always imagined them there. Since they need caves to store the hoard of gold (lot of fairy tales and Tolkien-influence) The insects here have finally come out. Not a lot of them, but more than the last months. That means I get stung by mosquitoes every time I forget the insect spray (they love me) but it's nice to see some bumblebees and flowerflies around.

@Torunn that'd be fer certain! we'd several caves't the ol' homestead 'n such 'twas'n a mountain, surrounded by more...well, ya get the pic. delighted to hear that 'bout'cher insects. 've ya tried vanilla 'xtract? ya can put a few drops'n unscented lotion 'n put that'n. fer some odd reason, skeeters jest don't like 't. i e'en make a fly/skeeter spray fer the horses usin' a near method. i've seen one lone bumblebee this summer. jest one. doesn't seem the brightest lil bee?? tends to land'n then fight with buds that've yet to open. 'r jest goes 'bout all the green leaves 'f the hibiscus - which've not e'en a bud, lol. soon they'll be'n either hibernation 'r migrated elsewhere. i 'lways dread winters callin'. i anxiously 'wait 'em to return. will be sad fer the lil hummers departure, too. seems the 'dults 've left 'lready?? meanin' the offspring 'f this year'll be headin' out soon. got'cha a pic though! not the greatest, but hope ya 'njoy 't anyhow :) ack!! i must go talk with my pillow, 'tis nearly 2:30am!

thanks much fer yer kind words :) yep, he's sure a purty thing! the grand'd a pond out'n back 'n such 'twas 'lways filled with thousands 'f dragonflies. i think i'd preferred 'eye-stingers' to somethin' that'd pick'p a young'un to ne'er be seen 'gain. luckily my pond 'tis 'nly 'bout 14 x 10 ft, diameter. 'tis still challengin' though 's there'd be many rocks 'n other obstacles to trip o'er.

thanks :) the pic 'tis from the topside 'f the dragonfly.

thanks :) oh, yer photo 'tis brilliant! ne'er can catch 'em out'n the flowers 'xcept'n full sun, makin' 'em all 'wash. yes ma'am, lots 'f patience 'nvolved. seems 's soon's i get 'em focused, they've flitted 'way. most oft come back to the same place 'n we start the 'game' all o'er 'gain. that's been my luck this year with winged creatures 'f all sorts, lol.

@crazyhorseladycx I like the hunt with my camera lol... I like this one but it's not sjch a lovely colour as your blue dasher....

@crazyhorseladycx ohhh I'm sorry to hear that

thanks! i'd thought i'd gotten a straighter view, but reckon my eyes're failin' faster'n i'd wished. still, 'twas thrilled to capture that brilliant blue! seems most any place there'd be water, there's gonna be dragonflies, lol. they're beautiful 'n beneficial, too. what a win-win, eh? 'devil's darnin' needle'? wonder if'n we've any 'f those 'round here? i'm wonderin' how many 'f the female blue dashers i've confused with the red veined darters, lol. reckon they're sorta like birds - where's most 'f the males 're brilliant'n color 'n the females quite drab'n comparison.

@Fleura oh my! brilliant capture 'n what a beauty, too! dunno if'n i've any 'f those here?? i believe i sorta captured such the other day, but 'twas'n sunlight. lemme hunt'n see if'n i can find a pic.

@crazyhorseladycx we have Emperor dragonflies, they're the biggest dragonflies over here, the males are blue and the females are green.

thanks, ms. valerie. i used to lay 'n the ground 'n crawl 'bout tryin' to get pics 'f all sorts 'f critters. 'd still do so, but find i need 'ssistance these days to upright myself, lol. y'ave not lived 'til ya find yerself crouched'n the most awkward 'f positions tryin' to get the "perfect" shot 'f a toad eatin' bugs :) oh, the good ol' days! yes ma'am, i reckon such'd be so. i'd jest hoped fer such a transformation 'fore i left this earth.

@crazyhorseladycx I totally understand your situation with getting upright. I have the same problem.

sadly they're like the bees'n other beneficial 'nsects - pesticides 'n loss 'f habitats. what a blessin' to see ya one! i love all their activity here through summer. thanks much! 'twas tickled to get this'un perched'n the shade so's those beautiful blues didn't get washed out by the sun :)

i'm most humbled by yers'n others kinds words, hon. i've loads 'f patience with critters, wee'uns 'n the elderly. those'n the middle? not so much, lol. i'm not that great with crafts. 've the patience, jest seem to lack all else 'nvolved. thanks so much!

yes ma'am, that's what i'd be told anyhow. thanks :) he's sure a purty critter!

oh yes! 'lways thrilled when i see 'em. usually the red veined darters're the first seen, these come out a few weeks later. there's other species i've yet to get decent pics 'f - one i seem to only catch out'n the tree out front - full sunshine so've nary a clue's to the color. 's 'n interestin' wing pattern though'n i prolly ought'a do some more readin' to find what such'd be.

so glad ya liked 't, hon. i've loads 'f pics 'f 'em, jest not share worthy, lol. with the pond, i've loads 'f diff'rent varieties. dragonflies 're purty scary lookin''n their larval stage. i've yet to witness one's 't climbs out'ta the pond (much's a butterfly) 'n shed 'ts skeleton to become somethin' so beautiful. yepperz, hard 's heck to get a pic 'f 'em. thanks :) he made 't easy, lol.

@crazyhorseladycx Yes it is beautiful. The butterfly process is something else, all of nature is a miracle to watch.

thanks :)