The Great Blue Skimmer

I had a couple of visitors in my lotus pond garden today. Or, perhaps, I was the visitor.

I approached the lotus plants with caution, noting that many of the long stems were laying on the ground. It was their response to having some undergrowth and weeds pulled out from under their "feet," if you will. Growth that was providing a significant amount of support, it seems, for now many of the great round leaves are leaning and laying on the ground. Today, I shored them up, tying in sticks to brace the fallen stems until their roots get rooted again.

The dragonfly buzzed me before landing on a branch just above my head. He or she, I didn't know, but found out later, after doing a search, that most likely it was a he. A Great Blue Skimmer, as a matter of fact, and he was watching his territory, waiting for a female to pass through it. A female dragonfly, that is.

                         

Not a shy insect, the handsome dragonfly posed for me a few minutes, momentarily flitting away, then returning to another position, on a different branch or stem.  

I took a few pictures, he'd flit to another nearby branch, I took a few more, he buzzed to a lotus leaf, and so on. He lead, I followed. I guess I was helping him pass the time while he waited for a very special guest who had not yet arrived.

                                    

Suddenly, this little dance we were doing ... stop, pose, pose, pose, flit, buzzz, flit, stop, pose, pose... no longer held his interest. He buzzed away so fast, I ducked. Instead of one buzzing sound, I heard two, and with a quick manipulation of my head and by stepping back away from the pond, I was able to better view Mr. Blue and his new dance partner.

Before I realized she was the mate he sought, they were simply two dragonflies, one pursuing the other. It took only a moment for me to recognize the real drama playing out in my yard, so I stepped back to watch. A few seconds of pursuing, and then he had her, and the two flew in tandem.

Another second passed before I remembered I had a camera in my hand. I started clicking away, but they moved so fast, in tandem, flying in and around the lotus leaves. I gave them space, snapped three pictures, hoping for a decent shot, not able to see on the monitor what I was getting.

                 They flew in tandem like this for just a few seconds, and then he landed on the edge of a lotus leaf.

He's the one on top holding her head with some little claws at the end of his abdomen. I read that the female dragonfly is often injured (usually her eyes) during this violent procedure. She's extending the tip of her abdomen into his thorax, where he keeps the sperm.

                   

CloseUp of dragonfly eye. (photo by permission of Will Cook, at Digital Dragonflies)

They separated, and he hovered about the stems growing from the pond while she repeatedly dipped her abdomen into the pond water, washing off the eggs. I read that he does this to ensure that she lays the eggs safely without interruption. In other words, to make sure no other dragonfly comes by to snatch her away for his own propagation, or no other predator swoops down upon her for a meal. If this were to happen, the male would chase them away.

Here he is hovering.  

I took pictures of her egg laying maneuvers, but none of them were clear enough to use.

When I was able to get a better look at him after the mating, I was surprised at the wear and tear he had been through. Scroll up and look at the barely touched wings of the male dragonfly before, then look at him after. He looks a little bedraggled. I thought it was the female at first, but now I'm sure it is the same male dragonfly.

 Dragonflies are carniverous, eating mosquitos, small fish, tadpoles, and even each other. For some really great pictures of dragonflies, click here.

I was only outside around the lotus leaves for a few minutes, during which the entire mating ritual of the Great Blue Skimmer took place.

I'm always surprised when I walk outside and notice something going on in the animal kingdom that I hadn't noticed from the chair at my computer. But from the chair of my computer, I can find out more details, and learn more about what I saw outside!

A pleasant melding of technology and living.

How Does My Garden Grow?

"How does my garden grow?" John Scalzi asks in his entry. With lotus flowers!            

    Not many, though.

I had written an entry about them earlier, but I didn't know how to add the big pictures then. I do now!

It's been years since our lotus plants have bloomed. I asked my husband why is that? He said this year he added fertilizer to the water. So this year, we had three lotus flowers. Two have already bloomed and died. The third is just about to open. I hope to have a photo of that moment tomorrow.

                       

Some interesting lotus facts: they are native to Asia and North America, and have never been native to Egypt. I didn't know that until I started doing some research.

               Also:

"...lotus have been cultivated by the Chinese for at least 4,000 years and untold generations of Native Americans have appreciated their value. (Lotus seeds remain viable for thousands of years.) Lotus tubers, new shoots, and seeds are all edible."            from Hoerr Nursery online

     I found that fact to be very interesting... that the seeds have been found to be viable for thousands of years. For example, in the 1920's, seeds from 1300 year old lotus were planted and germinated into plants. More details about that discovery by clicking here.        

They need at least six hours of sun or more, need to be planted in water in a container or pond, they are durable plants, some species growing as tall as six feet, and pests seldom attack them.

I, however, have seen the ever present japanese beetles on their petals, those wretched pests. 

It's undeniable beauty as a flower that rises from the mud of its origin has inspired creation stories in India. It is a Holy Flower to those of the Hindu faith. The Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi, sits upon the lotus flower, making it a symbol of purity and eternity. 

I can only compare the status this simple flower has attained in Asian culture to that of the rose in our culture. The unfolding petals of the lotus and those of the rose both signify the revealing of the soul. In addition, the rose represents the unfolding nature of spiritual growth, the blood of Christ, and awakening.

In my garden, lotus flowers, but no roses. We have too much shade for roses. But somehow, the lotus flower found enough daylight to make her appearance this year.

I find a personal promise in the sign of the lotus in my own yard: that I will find enough light to be an effective, attentive, responsive, and supportive teacher in my new school this year.

Celebration events at aol

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AOL JOURNALS!

 Look what's going on in J-land! I've included links to all the events. Just click on them to find out more information.

                The cake graphic is from Chris, at Cab's Creations. It comes in three sizes, and if you click on her link, you can snag the cake icon for your own use.

 

Stevie, at the Life of Stevie, is making a tribute video of AOL journalers... if you'd like to be included, e-mail him a photo of yourself. Click on the link for more information. He says "The pic can be of yourself alone, or together with your family, it's up to you, but I can only accept one picture per J~Lander as I have no idea how many pictures I'm going to receive!  The sizes of the pictures don't matter, as long as they aren't REALLY small as it would look distorted on a full screen presentation."

The deadline for photo submissions is the 13th as I need time to actually put it altogether before the 21st, so just less than a week.

 

Also Shelly, at XXRoxyMamaXX, has been asked to create a memorial quilt. She's designing little quilt squares for individuals who have passed on during the past three years. She writes:

You can submit names and dates for your loved ones or friends, I know some of you will be remembering Pam.  I didn't know her but I do know she is dearly missed.  As you all know, I lost my dad to lung cancer this past December and I have done a sample quilt square to give you some idea of what they will look like. Please keep the letter count to a minimum as the squares are only 130x130 so that they can be used in sidebars if desired.  And please leave at least two colors for me to work with.  That will help immensely.  You may also tell me a little about the person to aide in the decoration of the square.  For example, dad loved the ocean so I used a boat and sunset over the ocean for the colors."

"The deadline for submissions will be August 17th.  I will let you know at a later date where the squares will be posted. " Email her at xxroxymamaxx with your submissions.

 

D, over at ThisandThatandHockey, is hosting a graphic icon contest. Already she has several cool graphics for anyone to snag and add to their journals. She writes: "we decided to also create another graphic for our sidebar.  We went over what we thought it should say on it, and decided to have folks offer their suggestions and have a contest.  The Court Jesters will be the judges and will have a winner by August 21.  There is no great big prize but we will have another sidebar graphic giving recognition to the person who's suggestion appears on the graphic. 

The AOL graphic will be done in both sizes so they can be used in an entry or on our sidebar.  We thought a lighthouse would be a great symbol to use.  I put sample on them now so they are not snagged prematurely, but obviously it will not have that when we present them for use."

 

 

As I mentioned in a previous entry, Sugar, at My Life, is working on a Pet Memorial.  She writes in her entry: "If you have lost a pet in the past 3 yrs, please EMAIL me your babies name, M or F, a short note about them, date they passed over, & a pic if you have one. Include your first name, & link if you have one. Be sure I get the info before the 18th, as J-Land will be 3 yo on the 21st!!!"   Click on her link for more information.

 

So join in. There seems to be something for everyone!

Embedded Video for Cat lovers!

Okay, so you've probably seen this one in your emails... but I had to put it in my blog! I laugh every time I see it! Wait a few seconds while the video uploads. It'll start soon. I promise. I had to click twice on the green arrow at the bottom left of the screen to get the video going. It's about a minute long. Cute, huh?

 

I learned how to do this after reading Joe's entry. You can do it too! Click on the link and find out.

Tom and his three sons.

What do you get when you cross a Connecticut fireman with a Connecticut teacher?

The answer: triplets with a talent for climbing, jumping, and reading. Maybe for putting out fires too, but I haven't seen them do that one.

They will be three years old in October.

Avery was supposed to be first born, so during ultrasound pictures in utero, he was identified as Baby A. But when birthing time came, Baby B, Brody, was delivered first, followed by Baby C, Casey, and then Avery. Or something like that. They were born premature, Casey weighing in at 1lb12 oz; Brody at 2lb.4oz; and Avery a whopping 2lb7oz!

I try to imagine raising triplets, but I can't begin to. Not in a way I am accustomed to having raised a single child. I try to imagine living with three year old triplets, and I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it starting where I am right now! A day or two, maybe, but then, I'm sure I'd have to run away from home for a break.

I so enjoyed having them here, talking to them, playing with them, feeding them, and watching them... just watching them run around from one thing to another, chasing or following each other, wrestling on the floor with their daddy, playing with my son, listening to Marlene (friend) read them a story from Curious George, or talking to their mommy...

Avery, who was supposed to be first born, is the biggest of the three. What a sweet boy he is. So thoughtful and reflective, patient and knowing.     He had some complications at birth that have affected his development, and still needs to supplement his diet with formula through a feeding tube. Only recently has he been allowed to eat food, but for him swallowing is a challenge. He's at the discovery stage in this area. I watched him chew and chew his food, sampling every food on his plate. His mom explains that he is protective of his throat after having worn a trache for almost three years.

Though he isn't walking on his own yet, he keeps up with his two siblings at an amazing speed. However, his parents celebrate that now that he is no longer wearing a trache, he is learning to talk. I understood his single words quite easily. Sensitive, observant, and creative, Avery is going to surprise us all one day with his talents and his joyful heart.

Brody is the comic of the three, which means he takes after his dad. He also looks the most like his dad. He's the one who will make his parents laugh to get out of trouble. Brody is into pirates, and is a bit of a daring lad himself.  Here he is exploring a way to get out of my house. The doggy door. Isn't he just the cutest little boy? That's Casey's arm right beside him...

Casey is probably the most agile and athletic of the three. Could we predict Olympic Athlete? He climbed and jumped off of anything resembling a thing that could be climbed.    He saw my free standing torchiere lamp and said with glee "Pole!" as he wrapped his arms and legs around it. I knew he was thinking about the pole his daddy has at work in the firehouse. "Not a pole!" I told him as I unwrapped his arms from my lamp..."Lamp. It's a lamp!" I taught him like aunts are supposed to.

  They left late last night to complete their drive to Georgia to spend time with Tom's mother, my sister. They'll also visit Tom's brother TJ and his family (TJ has two boys, and a girl), and Tom's sister, Latisha, the artist. They'll be there about a week, and then on their trip back to Connecticut, I'll see them again...

Can't wait. No really.   

 

The  guest bedroom awaits them.

(God bless Tom and Becky for being the most loving, giving, patient, and teaching parents that they are.)

Monday Photo Shoot with big pictures!

John's Monday Photo Shoot: Your Monday Photo Shoot: Cool down with a photo that in some way involves ice cream. Other frozen treats such as Popsicles, frozen yogurt, ice milk and sherbet are also entirely acceptable. If it's sweet and it's frozen, it qualifies.

Also remember that although it's the Monday Photo Shoot, you can get pictures in until Thursday noon.

I did it! I can add big pictures to my journal now!! YEAY ME!

Here's mine!!

  Max is waiting patiently for the orange sherbet ice cream on a stick. He's already had a taste, he knows he likes it. These were taken around July 4th week of this year.

                          Here, Max and Misty share their favorite treat... actually they will share anything except the bone and marrow from a hamsteak. You can see that Max likes to bite at it, and Misty is a licker.

I had some great photos of my great-nephews eating popsicles yesterday, but I haven't gotten permission yet to post them.

I did it!  I did it!  I did it!!...

And thank you JOE, JOURNALS EDITOR, for helping me.

Joe responded to my email regarding the issue of placing larger pictures into my journal on two separate occasions... and this time I very carefully followed his instructions that he had written up in one of his Magic SMoke entries. He explained there how to use AOL pictures permalink feature... it worked for me... so if I can do it, folks, anyone can...

And also, I appreciate those of you who sent me links, via email and comments in my blog, for other programs to help me edit my pictures to the correct pixel size. What a helpful community we have here!

I can't believe it took me nearly three months to get around to it. I am a slow learner, and this proves it. (Or it might prove that I've been busy, and doing this was nearly at the bottom of my list!)

Waiting for my nephew and his family

Well, it seems the picture insert didn't work... I thought it had worked for about an hour or so after I did it. But then, even I saw the red X boxes in the previous entry. Time to follow the directions this time, like Karen and Jackie suggest.

In the meantime, I'm up before I wanted to be. Insistent dog scratching at my bedroom door. I don't need an alarm clock with Max around! He knows when I'm supposed to get up, and if I'm not by 7 a.m., he gently scratches the door. During the school year, I seldom hear his scratching because I get up before he is even thinking about it. Maybe this is his way of paying me back for ten months of getting him up too early?

But he's right. There's work to do, and the day only appears to be long enough.

Before I prepare for my children's Sunday School class, I wanted to write about something very special.

My nephew, his wife, and their three tots are going to visit us twice this week: once on their way down to Georgia (to visit his mother, my sister) and again on their way back to Connecticut. They should be arriving early Monday morning. I'm so excited!!

Tom recently graduated with Group 34 from the Connecticut Fire Academy, and is now a fireman in Naugatuck. His wife Becky is a teacher. Awesome pair! Their three boys, Avery, Brody, and Casey (ABC, for short) are nearly three years old... yes, they are triplets!

I can't wait to meet the boys... I hear they are very funny together, but I'm not surprised. Tom, his brothers Tim and TJ, and their sisters Tammy and TC, are pretty funny together... when they get together... and fun. They get along better than any siblings I know, their love reflecting strength drawn from difficult times growing up.

Tom is a twin... his twin, Tammy, lives far away in Arizona with her lovely family (she and her husband have three boys as well, not trips; she is a teacher, and he is a policeman). Still, they manage to keep in touch. I know how hard that is to do. I haven't done a very good job of keeping in touch with my five siblings for the past ten years.

When I was younger, and when I wasn't working full-time, I was more mindful in this area, writing letters, sending cards, making phone calls, but over the years, neglect in this area of relationships was the consequence of attending to other areas of living closer to home. Not to mention that my siblings and their children are spread out across the U.S.: California, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, and recently, Alabama. That's right, none of them live in North Carolina (well, my son does).

My husband's family all live in North Carolina... all of them. Interesting observation. There's a story there. Actually, part of the reason for my side of the family being so far apart may have to do with my father being an Air Force serviceman.... we seldom lived more than two years in any one place for over 20 years. Then, his sons joined the military as well, and off they went to far away places, some foreign, meeting their future wives, and settling down far from where they began their lives. His daughters married men that took them away from their homeplaces as well. At least now we are all living in the same country, bordered by the same oceans!

Anyway, the visit of my nephew and his family will be short, but I expect I will be taking lots of pictures. Hopefully, I will get mom and dad's permission to put at least one picture of the great-nephews on this journal page... which is why I've been so urgently seeking a way to add the bigger sized pictures.... I will keep trying.

Becky and Tom, I am waiting for you. Drive safely overnight. I will love being your boys' (great) Aunt Bea! I wish you were coming tonight instead!