An Abundance of Familiar Damsels

Countless Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) damselflies flew about over the shallow water of the Salado Creek wetland. Their gossamer wings would periodically catch the sun at just the right angle, appearing as small, bright flashes above the water's surface. These bluets are among the smallest of the damselflies. I had to watch intently to see where they momentarily perched:

This set of photographs was taken along the SSG Morningstar Boardwalk on the Salado Creek Greenway Trail on Monday, November 11, 2013.

Approaching the Ineffable

Monday, November 5, 2012

Medina River Natural Area, El Camino > Rio Medina > El Chaparral Trails

Today's photos:

"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I want to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out the marrow of life… ."  -  Henry David Thoreau, Walden: or, Life in the Woods

Two Dragons and Five Damsels Along Leon Creek

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Among all the butterflies, there were a few dragonflies and damselflies along the Leon Creek South Greenway on my walk of Monday, October 15:

On the Necessity of Preservation, A Sunday Special Edition

Sunday, October 21, 2012

On the Necessity of Preservation

"[I]n Wildness is the preservation of the World. Every tree sends its fibres forth in search of the Wild. The cities import it at any price. Men plow and sail for it. From the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind."  - Henry David Thoreau

The opening quote from Thoreau comes from his essay, Walking, published in The Atlantic Monthly (Volume 9, Issue 56, pp. 657 - 674) in 1862. I have used this quote numerous times, but only recently found and read Thoreau's entire original essay. It is fairly long, but well worth the read.

The photos are from my walk on the Yanaguana Nature Trails at Mission San Juan on Friday, October 12.

A Few Dragons and Damsels in the Olmos Basin

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

This is the last set of photos from my walk in the Olmos Basin on Wednesday, October 3: