Dragonfly Snaps

After my Sunflower photo session, I drove to Murfree Springs Wetlands in Murfreesboro. In spite of harsh light and heat, I walked around the boardwalk. Not much was stirring except an abundance of Dragonflies. I 'think' this is a Blue Dasher resting on a plant near the edge of the boardwalk. His wings are so beautiful glistening in the sunlight.

I eyed the edge of the boardwalk and spotted what I believe is an Eastern Pondhawk perched on a plant. I am not an expert when it comes to Dragonflies, but I do enjoy photographing them. I thought I would share one of the explanations I found for the origin of how the Dragonfly got it's name.

In old Romanian folklore, the dragonfly was actually a horse ridden by Saint George. St. George rid the mythical town of Silence of the dragon that lived in the town’s pond and poisoned the town. After wounding the dragon, he leashed the dragon and gave it to the town’s princess. Saint George’s horse became a giant flying insect when cursed by the devil. In the Romanian language, the word for dragonfly translates into Devil’s Horse or Devil’s fly. The Romanian word for devil is drac, which can also indicate dragon. In English, it translated to dragonfly.

The weekend is upon us and with yet more days of high heat and humidity. Today was 97 and I'm sure the heat index was in triple digits. There's no relief in sight either. Am I allowed to say I'm almost ready for Fall. Did I actually say that? Oops. Stay cool all. ENJOY!

Evin's Mill, Highland Rim

Nestled against the western tip of Tennesesee's Highland Rim situated at the base of the Cumberland Plateau sits Evin's Mill. The land the mill sits on today was purchased in 1824 and three separate families built mills on the land over the years. Finally, in 1937 Edgar Evins bought the property and two years later built Evin's Mill.

The mill doesn't operate today and sits on privately owned property with an inn situated across the creek accessible via the boardwalk. The Evin's family was politically prominent during the racially charged '60's. If you reside in the States you no doubt have heard of Edgar Evins and his tragic death.

The area around the mill is a typical country setting with a woods on three sides. The drive was only about forty minutes from my place and made for a nice Sunday afternoon. As I stood next to the pond, looking out at the mill to capture this image, the Common Pond Hawk Dragonfly buzzed around my feet.

The oppressive heat here in Tennessee has finally broken. We're now enjoying temperatures in the 70's and 80's with virtually no humidity and I, for one, am so very thankful to the Weather Gods. I hope you had a fantastic weekend and are looking forward to a wonderful week. ENJOY!

Lily Pond at Bernheim

The first image you see is a close up of the second image of the lily pond at Bernheim. It's odd really, but this is a very small lily pond that is netting a lot of blooms and has quite a variety in the species at that. I'm thinking I'd like to photograph more of the pond in a few weeks. There was one pod that wasn't open that I wasn't sure what it was really because it didn't have the usual flower bud shape. However, in my haste to photograph the varieties I failed to get a photograph of it. Perhaps another time. Besides the flowers and especially the varieties at Bernheim I really like the shape of lily pads. I don't know what it is but it's a friendly sort of shape I think. I haven't any clue what the photo is of the large leaves with red stalks. If you do, please share.

Oh and least I forget, is that a "young" dragonfly. Sorry but he just looks really small for a dragonfly and I only remember seeing what I believe are adult dragonflies in the past. Alright, I confess, I know nothing about dragonflies. Obviously I need field guides for wildflowrs and dragonflies. I believe Sandy mentioned this in a prior comment. I swear I'll buy some field guides soon as I return from my trip. Enjoy!