Sunday, July 29, 2012

arachnids and dragons


today. sunday. the dark clouds were rolling in.
looking west, at the end of our drive...across to the field where
we pick the wild blackberries

i really needed a break from all this sitting at the computer...
and trying to catch up on blog reading.
i needed fresh air.
but the mosquitoes are still monsterous...and still have an appetite that is never satisfied.

i didn't care.  i needed out.

i had to hurry though because the sky was about to open up.
thunder was rolling in the distance.

sam told me about a spider he spotted earlier this morn...so i went to find it...
on the side of the house...a pretty good sized web!

here she is, up close.
Yellow Garden Orbweaver  (Argiope aurantia)

she's perfecting her zipper stitch.


on the other side of the house...was this dangling egg case.
i'm not sure which spider it belongs to.


and here's the really cool Green Lynx spider!


ok, i better hurry this up...power just blinked out...lost my internet...
up and running again.


and now for a few DRAGONflies!!
ONE of my FAVORITES...in the bug family.



“Even  when  muddy  your  wings  sparkle  bright  wonders  that  heal  broken  worlds.”  
~Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams



i think they knew the rain was not far off.


flying around...always coming back to rest in the same spot.


just like the mushrooms...we have a wide variety of these dragons!!




time to go run through the mud...and the rain.  :)

i leave you with this moon shot...
two days ago, the 27th of july at 9:44pm


“We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.”     
~Khalil Gibran


stay cool. be safe.
laura



51 comments:

  1. love those 'zipper spiders'. and your green one is beautiful! glad you're getting rain. wish we could. over 100 here and expected even hotter the next few days...

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    1. i can always count on your comments Theresa! i love them!

      it's been hot here too...but not that hot...the weather's been so strange..hotter up north...and the no rain makes it really unbearable... :(
      high today was 93...right now it's 77...unbelievable!

      take care...and keep doing that rain dance...

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  2. Eeek those spiders but that is some web she has woven. I really like your dragonfles with their wonderful wings. Lovely shots!!!

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    1. THANKS Ellie!! yeah, their webs are pretty amazing! and the dragonflies...with their intricate wings! love them!

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  3. OH MY ...this post is AWESOME ....dragonflies galore I am in heaven ......xx

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    1. lorna...i thought of you with each dragonfly i saw! :)

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  4. Two of my favorite arachnids! Thanks. Love the other photos, too!

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  5. I like the Gibran quote . . . and the moon shot. The spiders remind me of a little girl who terrified my daughter with spiders when she was very little. It took her years before she overcame her fear. Naughty girl . . .

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    1. thanks Lynne! my oldest son, justin...is terrified of spiders too...i'm not sure why...but i guess lots of people are.
      that's too bad about your daughter...NOT good when someone purposely does something like that! :( at least she has overcome!!

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  6. Love those dragonflies, Babe! That's one creepy spider perfecting her needlework!

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    1. yep...she's a pretty good at this stitchery...for a spider! :)

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  7. Fabulous photo taker you are!!! Those spiders are straight out of Lord of the Rings. I LOVE that Green Lynx spider. That is one beautiful monster. And don't get me started about mosquitoes.....I have tons of bites all over my body! Now I hope you get some rain but nothing like that last event that crocs swimming all around:)

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    1. ha. Lord of the Rings!! yeah!!
      yes, the Green Lynx is like almost translucent...with long black hairs on her legs!!

      as for the SKEETERS...they buzz me...they annoy me...but rarely do they feed on me...now sam, he's another story...VERY tasty to those little buggers!

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  8. These are amazing picture ! Thank you for the change to get a glimpse of your environment. The spiders and dragon flies are very impressive. Please have you all a good new week.

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  9. I love that first spider! So a beautiful creature!

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    1. she sure is...this was the first time i've seen this kind of spider here...i had to look her up...luckily i was able to name her!
      THANKS Michelle.

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  10. I never thought I'd say this about a spider - but that Yellow orbweaver is beautiful!

    And glorious, diaphanous-winged dragonflies... May I borrow that quote please Laura?
    :)

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    1. thanks Alexia! that's the first time i've seen this spider! as for the quote...i just hunt them down online...of course you can use it! :)

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  11. Green Lynx spider is very pretty.

    P.S. I love dragonflies, too. I've been taking their pics, lately. You have to be patient for the ones around here, they hardly ever land!
    ~

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    1. Thanks Thunder...yes...i went by your blog...(followed too!), and we DO have the same taste in pictures...nature. cool.

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    2. I think some of those dragonflies above are Blue Dashers, Pachydiplax longipennis. (Note: the female looks different from the male.)

      ~

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    3. yep!! you sure are right about that! Blue Dashers...nice name...
      THANKS a lot!

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  12. Ah yes, but the darker sides can be so enlighting! My most favorite of all times always, hands down, cameras out, the lovely dragonflies! They are just magic. Of course you do shoot exceptional spiders as well....it does feel good to get out and about....it seems I get so behind with computer work and blogging in the summer...hmmm why is that! :)

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    1. oh yeah...i have a few dark sides...ha.

      seems as though i'm always a little behind...oh well...
      thanks karen!!

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  13. Hi Laura...I am not fond of spiders, just give me the Hebe gibe's !!
    I do love those dragonflies though, and the shots of them are great!!
    Have a week of happiness!!
    Grace

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    1. i love to LOOK at the spiders...their webs...but i'm not too fond of them crawling on me!!

      you have a happy week too Grace!

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  14. I absolutely did NOT know that blackberries would grow in Florida -- I'm glad I learned that from you!!! Your spider is just stunning! I'm so glad you went outside to play and I hope the little blood-suckers didn't make you too miserable. (If it makes you feel better we are gathering our share of skeeter bites here in Oregon! They're everywhere where there's water -- we're not willing to move to the desert, so I guess, like you, we'll just have to put up with 'em.)

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    1. oh yeah...the blackberries grow WILD...in north florida anyway. well, even when i lived a little farther south, Plant City...near Tampa...we had blackberries! YUM! this was the FIRST year i baked cobblers!!

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  15. Oh Laura I love coming to Florida and seeing nature through your eyes we have similar tastes in beauty. Awesome pics.
    Rain what is this rain you talk of? :) B

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    1. Thanks Buttons! OH...such an exciting thing...the internet...travel around the world...see all the things...people & places...adventures...through others' eyes...the places we may never get to see in person!

      the RAIN! we were lucky enough to have been getting some almost every afternoon...hence the mosquitoes! BUT...it was starting to get dry again...the rain stopped...well, only for a week...
      if i could...i'd send it on its way...to other...more DRY places. :)

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  16. I am back from my vacation and I am playing catch up. Great series, Laura! The dragonflies are my favorites, love them all.

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    1. welcome back eileen...and thanks for stopping by! (ugh...catching up...good luck!) :)

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  17. Like artymess said: Awesome. Those rain clouds are magnificent. Love the zipper stitch on that web and the outstanding close-up of the blue darner dragonfly. Yes. Awesome is a good word.

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  18. so nice that you got out to explore, so good for the spirit. wonderful to see what you found. spiders are so interesting.

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  19. They are small, and so beautiful. I love the Dragonflies, superb.

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  20. Bonita serie de arañas y libelulas todas magnificas.Un saludo

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  21. Aż te pająki, plotą i plotą swoje pajęczyny, w które się można zaplątać. Ważki są piękne ze swoimi "szklanymi" skrzydełkami. Pozdrawiam.
    Until these spiders and plaiting and plaiting their webs, in which he can be caught. Dragonflies are beautiful with their "glass" wings. Yours.

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  22. SUPERB images and a superb blog!

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  23. Great blog. Interesting notes. ;P
    I like him here!!! ;)
    I am inviting to me: http://photographyismyexistence.blogspot.com/
    I am greeting I wish the nice evening! ^^

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  24. Wonderful shots - love the spiders and dragons myself. Glad I found your blog (from your visit to mine)

    dan

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  25. Wow! Beautiful, beautiful shots! I know what you mean about needing a break from the computer...but you still did both. Sometimes I just need to get away totally for a few days. Don't mean to NOT leave comments, but some times I just need to refresh myself. Love your blog!

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  26. THANKS again...to everybody...and a warm welcome if this was your first stop over! :)

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  27. I love these pics...the spiders are particularly evocative: I feel like I can reach out and touch them!

    Your cloud pic would fit this week's Thematic theme nicely. You have such an amazing way of looking at life through a lens!

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  28. I understand needing air. Yesterday I took a rain shower. I wished it had been longer, but I take what I can get. I sat next to the tomatoes and we smiled to sky together.

    LOVE the Yellow Garden Orbweaver. Looking at her head upside down, it resembles a skull!

    And the dragonflies are precious. I've always been attracted to their eyes and their wings.

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    1. YES!!!! about the spider's head looking like a skull...i thought the SAME thing as soon as i uploaded the picture to my comp!!

      thanks magaly!!

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  29. Mee to follow you ;p
    Thank you !!!

    YOurs...

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  30. Love all your spiders and dragonflies Laura - what an incredible variety you found. The succulent the blue dragonfly is sitting on is quite special too.
    All the best :D)

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thanks for stopping by! it's always nice to hear from fellow wanderers!