My little bit of planet Earth felt like a slice of paradise today. The sky was clear, the air was warm, the greens couldn’t have been greener, the breeze not more gentle. Fortunately, there was no obligation to keep me indoors. So, I spent over two hours at the pond. And in that time, which I hoped would never end, a garter snake slithered across my path,
draping blossoms affected me in the way a sip of iced tea says, ‘Ah, it’s summertime!’
And, a magic moment occurred. I’ve mentioned the ‘plop’ of the fish as they splash back into the water after a jump into the air to snatch a fly. But did I ever think I’d catch it on film? I do believe there is a fish cutting its way back into the water in the arc of the splash below. I’ve often thought that I could sit a year and never get this shot! That I caught this one today encourages me – perhaps one day I’ll actually get a picture of the fish suspended in air, a foot or so above the water, as my eye has seen on several occasions. (As with all photos on this site, click on the image to enlarge for better viewing, then use the back arrow to return to the post.)
Darting within the branches of the trees along the far side of the pond, perching birds would come to rest for a second or two, enticing me to find them with the sweetness of their song and then frustrating me with the impatience with which they’d take off. Still, some posed just long enough. Below is the Tufted Titmouse.
And here, the Eastern Kingbird.
What is it about the Song Sparrow that endears itself to me? It’s this – it sings its little heart out, wanting all to hear and to find cheer in its song. I know I do.
Below, the Red-winged Blackbird calls to its mate and then takes off, defying my quickness as well as the auto-focus of my Nikon, in its urgency to catch up with its partner.
This muskrat swam the full distance across the pond directly to me, taking the little turn shown here just as it was within a few feet. Normally a timid animal, I was surprised by its boldness today.
Having fun with my camera, I took this picture of a dragonfly as it hovered in the air and the lens locked on it.
The White Tail dragonflies are known to me for their friendliness. Each year they swoop around me and set down along the path before me, today as many as three at a time in the fifteen feet ahead of me.
Below, a Rusty Skimmer holds on to a not yet fully opened leaf.
The Blue-Eyed Grass below caught my eye. This tiny flower stands alone, just a few inches above the ground. Its detail in color and design is lovely.
As if to keep me aware that my sense of paradise was actually achieved on Earth, our planet’s moon, as a half moon, hung in the blue sky above the pond. 
SilverLining 