Karmic-Dragonfly

I had just been lamenting a couple days ago that I had not gotten any photos of hummingbird moths this year. Typically, I see them w/ the Virginia bluebells in early spring, but not this year.

The very day that I was thinking about them while I was sitting on the porch, I saw the tell-tale pattern in the distance; a "bee" was feeding at a butterfly bush, but was not actually landing on the flowers. Hummingbird moths do not land on the flowers, but hover to feed.

I do like how you can see through the wings of clearwing moths -- I believe this is Hemaris diffinis AKA "Snowberry Clearwing":

The weather is cooling, so everybody is trying to get inside! I trapped this jumping spider in a jar and set him back outside.

Not a bad photo for a phone, although it seems a bit too contrasty I think. His coloring makes him look like an old man!

Starting a "staycation" for this next week.

I was originally booked to visit college mates in Chicago for a long weekend to kick the vacation off, but a couple weeks ago, I hurt my back! It was my first time with a back injury, so I didn't recognize the warning signs of the first back pain, meaning I kept doing my normal activities. So after some work on the house and a trip walking a trail, taking photos, and doing some rock hopping at the river, that night I was in the worst pain I have ever felt!

It was the kind of pain that you couldn't get comfortable with -- no sleep at all that night. And each time I slipped out of bed to go to the bathroom, I would yelp, and have to stand and hold onto the bed until the pain might subside a bit. Then there was the "crab" walk to the bathroom - bent over, holding onto any support I could get. Finally that night, I pulled out the plastic jug (the "urinal" as it was called) that I received from a surgery years ago. I peed into that plastic jug for the 1st night.

Luckily, things are much better now! I have been to the doctor, who gave me a muscle relaxer and steroid, along with stretching exercises. It is healing, and I'm feeling much better!

To kick off vacation, I made a big breakfast. Southern biscuits are not my speciality, but they taste good!


At least during that last trip to the trail, I got some decent damselfly photos!

Got the lemon tree inside for the winter. It was not completely dried out, so it was a heavier than I had hoped!



It was outside for 204 days, about 6.8 months, which is a little under average. But we are getting a freeze tomorrow, so it's definitely time to bring it inside.


Butterflies are feeding on the Asters out front...the temp drops tonight! It's been mid 80s (˜29C) in October! But that changes tonight!

Down to the Texas Beach trail yesterday. I hadn't been there in a good while! It was nice being there, and it was mostly empty until towards the end of my walk when more folks started showing up.


Saw a Mourning Cloak butterfly -- I'm not sure what their host plant it, but I have only seen one of these at my house in all the years I've been here. So it was nice to see one at the river!

The Creeping Phlox are near done blooming, but they are still drawing Snowberry Clearwings!

It had been a decade since I climbed the trail to Humpback Rocks on the Blue Ridge. I had forgotten how steep the trail is -- I mean, hasn't anyone ever heard of a switchback? But it was good exercise, and I enjoyed sitting on the rocks eating my PB&J and an apple.


Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the trail --

I had some friends over a couple nights ago to celebrate one of their birthdays. It was a pleasant time.

But one thing I mentioned to them was that it still doesn't feel like my Sabbatical has started. I've been frustrated at some of the house fix items which have been slow to get accomplished. And I haven't done any kind of travel yet. The 2015 Sabbatical was the best time of my adult life. And the 2019/20 Sabbatical was more like retirement -- enjoyable, but quiet (partly due to the pandemic).

The good news is that some of the house items are finally getting done -- I found an acceptable toilet for upstairs, and I got it installed today. I have picked the color for the porch, and I'll paint that next week. And I've been getting some weeding done in the yard. Also, I've been getting together with friends -- which helps my mood A LOT!

I've also made sure to get some "forest bathing" time almost every day -- to breathe the forest air, and to get exercise, and to visit with the creatures. And I keep my camera with me.

At the botanical garden --





At a local park --

I have bucket list items for my life ('climbing a pyramid' check!) and also bucket list items for each year...Hummingbird Moth, check!

Since the Virginia Bluebells are native, it makes sense that the hummingbird moths would be feeding on them...I was outside after work, both "wining" myself 🍷 and "whining to" myself, when I noticed a 'bee' in the Bluebells who was not landing on the flowers -- a TELLTALE sign of a hummingbird moth! Sure enough, here they are!