Dragonflies' Migration

[one of my nature-nerd posts, lol.]

Hi! The other day just before the first end of summer cool front blew through, the sky over the dunes was filled with dragonflies! Like a swarm of tiny birds or planes....dozens, maybe thousands. The air was still and hot and sunny.

I am  not afraid of dragonflies---I find them beautiful and interesting. But these were quite large and busy and...intimidating. I estimate they are 3- 4" in size, not the small, pretty, iridescent green dragonflies of the swales and marshes. And now and then they'd hit my big window with a definite bang. Not a day to sit outside and sew....
They were entirely gone the following day.
These guys look black! I don't know what kind they are...

I checked my nature diary, and I see they have appeared every year since I began this diary in 2004. Either the last week of August or first weeks of September. I looked them up online and it seems they do migrate...somewhere. Not a huge amount is known but---so cool-- now scientists have invented tiny trackers that they can glue to the dragonflies' undersides. Then they are set free and their migratory trip south are being studied. Can you imagine a tracker so minute that it doesn't weigh down the little creatures---they can fly and live and go to the Caribbean, trackers on bellies. link, here

Here is the only photo I was able to take this week, cropped for ''detail"...they don't hold still!

Lots of cloud shots though. The dragonflies would alight on my deck rail, but as soon as I'd aim the camera, off they'd go.

You can google dragonfly images if you want to see better photos; the dragonflies, up close, are quite beautiful. here
 I did find some drawings in my sketchbooks....

This is a Cape Cod version.....

Do you enjoy watching and learning about nature? Do you notice the flocks of migrating birds and butterflies? I picked it up from my parents...and much to my pleasure and surprise, I now see that my kids are taking an interest too.

love

      lizzy

gone to the beach

 

 

Faded Beauties

Hi! I LOVE hydrangeas, don't you? And since  I have worked my way up to having   nice small afternoon walk each day---just around my small neighborhood---  I've been indulging in a little snoop and peek at everyone's late summer gardens!

I have a friend who loves BLUE hydrangeas. Only blue...

and since he hopes to redo his garden at some point, I have been watching the local hydrangeas and checking on their blueness. Also their rather spectacular ability to have weathered the salt water flooding of H. Sandy! Where the sycamore trees are all dead, and most evergreens died, the local hydrangeas are as good as ever.

So...they were blue, mostly...in July. This is the above bush, now pink in early September. [below]

What makes them blue? Aluminum sulfate. And then they don't stay blue! here

I'll experiment with mine in their deck pots next spring, because M is not gonna be happy if his blue hydrangeas turn pink.

Even the blue flower heads turn pink at this time of year....

This is the time to cut them and dry them.

I want to fill my favorite stoneware crocks...first hint of Fall? [along with the LL Bean catalog, which arrived today!]

love


         lizzy

gone to the beach

 

 

 

Sea Shells

 

Hello! Happy End of Summer Weekend!

Lucky for me summer lasts at least til mid-October here, so I don't yet have to feel sad about missing so much sun and fun. Heck, school doesn't even begin here until September 9th, week after next! Here at the beach everyone knows the best of summer comes in September....

I am still not  up to beachcombing, so my brother and SIL, aka J and B, sent me the most amazing delicate fragile box of treasures from a recent trip they made to Sanibel Island.

The Sanibel-Captiva area, with its famous seashelling beaches is first on my "Someday List". Sure I'd enjoy Provence or Tuscany...the flea markets of London?..but what I really want to do is go to Florida's Gulf Coast and go beachcombing. here
(Second is to search for glass floats on the coast of Alaska. So amazing...check it out! be sure to scroll down... )

Just look at these treasures J and B found on the beach at Sanibel!

The shells in Florida are rather different than mine here...I love these calico scallops!

The tiniest one is only the size of my thumbnail.

All nestled in a perfectly graduated stack...

Another set, different scallops? The yellow is so unusual.

 

And more...

 

 

 

I am intrigued by the tiny ones that look like miniature paw prints. edit: these are called Kitten's Paws here

I've had my eye on this shell string mobile on my neighbor's fence.

At first I thought perhaps I will use the Sanibel scallops in a smaller version. But they are so tiny and delicate!

For now they are carefully nested into my shell specimen box...

 

Also tucked in the gift box was a fun vintage sewing item...

 

 

 

An advertizing tape measure.

B is starting a new collection of sewing implements...and she is gonna get me hooked too. (I never see sewing things at the flea market, wonder why? Was I just not looking or what?)

 

 

Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

ps here is my view from the deck this evening.

Remember that huge mound of debris that was on the left dunes,

10 months ago.

We are so hoping No Hurricanes this fall!