A spider lives inside my head
Who weaves a strange and wondrous web
Of silken threads and silver strings
To catch all sorts of flying things,
Like crumbs of thoughts and bits of smiles
And specks of dried-up tears,
And dust of dreams that catch and cling
For years and years and years …
~Shel Silverstein
The barred owl, with intent focus, glided over the flooded forest floor, stretching out its talons to swiftly snatch up its prey. Then it landed on a nearby tree branch to examine its prize. Carefully, it extricated its catch from collected debris. Aware of my presence, the owl took flight deeper into the woods to savor its snack in solitude.
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
– Luciano Pavarotti
Spatterdock can be found growing around parts of the lake, providing a habitat for a variety of creatures and serving as nourishment for others.
Below is a dragonfly laying eggs on one of the leaves.
“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” ~Albert Einstein
During these hot and humid days of summer, while other critters are hidden away in shady, cooler places, dragonflies seem to be out in good number, enjoying the sun.
“When the heat of the summer
Made drowsy the land,
A dragon-fly came
And sat on my hand.”
~Eleanor Farjeon
It was a chilly, windy day out on the lake. This young Prothonotary Warbler found shelter among the water lilies, flittering from leaf to leaf and occasionally sitting peacefully and soaking up the warmth of the sun.
“We should all find a quiet place, a peaceful space, to bury the chaos and rest for a while.” ~Christy Ann Martine
While driving down the road at the refuge, we spotted this frog resting on a branch and soaking up the late afternoon sun.
“Get off the track of doubt and gloom, get on the sunshine track, there’s room.” ~ Unknown
Birds seen recently around the levee and lake.
“If you’re not a bird watcher you won’t be very excited, though gulls are graceful in flight and striking in appearance. If you’re a bird watcher this makes you weak in the knees.” ~Bryan Pfeiffer
Such a beautiful autumn day at the lake. The reflections in the still water continued to impress as the day slowly faded into darkness.
“Swept into nature’s calm, the soul stills as clouds move on.” ~Angie Weiland-Crosby
As we drove through the refuge, I spotted a beautiful butterfly on a flower beside the road, and we stopped for photos. As I stepped out of the car, a very startled and annoyed Great Egret, which had previously gone undetected, let out a loud squawk and abruptly propelled itself from its concealed spot in the tall grass to the safety of a nearby tree. And there it sat waiting, all sullen and sulky, greatly annoyed that its peaceful afternoon had been disturbed.
“The unexpected may annoy us, but may also wake us up.” ~Scott Sanders
Some of the beautiful dragonflies hanging around the lake.
Below are dragonfly nymphs on the underside of leaves near the water.
Curious dragonfly with
Wings of stained glass,
Oh, ancient bearer
Of secret dreams,
Your delicate beauty
Keeps wonder in my heart.
~Grace Edwards
walking on a country road 