So this morning Elizabeth and I agreed that we were up for an adventure, got in the car, and drove to the park. I wasn't going to photograph anything; my plan was to find Mom and Step-Dad, compliment the new RV, drink a Coke, wish them a happy new year, and come home. Elizabeth advised that I pack the camera just in case.
When we arrived at the park, I spotted a pair of sandhill cranes and, happy to have the Canon with me, went in pursuit of pictures. A very tame flock lives there year-round; I saw one pair right next to a picnic table begging a family for cook-out goodies.
We walked down to the shores of Lake Mary Jane so that I could evaluate dragonfly potential in the spring. A couple of turkey vultures wheeled on the thermal currents overhead. Elizabeth had me take their pictures as she is writing a novel with vultures as supporting characters:
Elizabeth noticed a white sulphur nectaring at some weeds and said, "There's one of your peeps, Sparky." I explained that I was not photographing bugs today, but then I spotted a dragonfly perched near the shore. I couldn't believe it! A dragonfly on the last day of 2006, willing to pose for its portrait!
I called Mom on my cellphone so that she could direct us to the campsite only to learn that she and Step-Dad were at their real home and not in the park. "Camping," you see.
So Elizabeth and I continued our tour. I found a barred yellow sulphur. This species is not a spectacular butterfly, but it's also not one that I've ever photographed before:
We also spotted an enormous black and white beetle that sounded as if it collided with a pine tree. I'm not sure what type it is. There are too many beetle pictures at Bugguide.net to search for a match.
Even though I missed seeing Mom and Step-Dad, I really enjoyed the trip. It's a long drive, but this park has many photo opportunities for the future.
