SUMMER FUN?

SUMMER FUN?

I had a lot of fun when I was young but was sent off to prison when I was about six. I never enjoyed summertime much after that time. I always knew in the back of my mind that summer would pass and I’d soon be locked up for another eight months. My bright spot was wearing out Golden Guides, catching crawdads & salamanders and damming up the crick. Summer vacation soon passed away. It was back to staring out the windows time/ Hard Time.

I just returned from a dog walk on the lower Shavers Fork, near Bowden. I call it tin can alley. Campers parked alongside each other; hundreds on them. I cannot imagine why people would want to leave one city just to go sit in another one. The two biggest campgrounds were absolutely crawling with people. I don’t quite understand why you need a fire when it is 85 degrees, either. Must be fun.

Fun to me doesn’t require spending money. I drive all week therefore I sure don’t travel more than a few miles if I don’t have to. I’m old, I’ve already seen it .Buying gas isn’t fun. You can’t drive down a country road anymore without someone riding on your bumper. There isn’t any wonder that people do not see anything anymore. They are in too big of a hurry.

I guess I could charge an expensive trip for a vacation to somewhere I’ve never been and work all the rest of the year to pay it off. That doesn’t sound like much fun, either. I worked at a place a few years ago that closes down the first week of July every year. That would be one of my last choices for a week off. I think the most exciting thing I did was change brakes on my truck.

I’ve gotten to the point where I actually have to make myself go fishing. I’m fine once I get there but some become bored with the whole process. Biting flies, mosquitoes and gnats stuck in your sweat isn’t much fun. Plus, the cost of gas and ice takes away from the enjoyment. It seems as if anything interesting to do is a sixty or seventy mile round trip. I guess I just can’t enjoy my time away when I know there is grass to mow, tomatoes to tie and critters to feed. Have you ever taken the time to read the WV Fish Consumption Advisories? You should.

I do make the attempt to take an hour out of every day for enjoyment. It is my shutdown time and I have become very adept at finding interesting things. I may steal that time with walking the dogs or it may be somewhere alongside the road. No matter where it is it is cherished time. It doesn’t cost a thing and it helps maintain sanity.

There are many things out there to discover for everyone. The only requirement to participate is a little bit of free time. I can just tie the dogs off to a tree and go sit along a ditch. You would be amazed at the lifeforms you can see in just a small location. Just sit and stare. Dragonflies, damsels, butterflies abound and you never know what bird may appear. To me that is fun and free. Try it, you might like it.

This is my July 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin

(c) 2016 High Virginia Outdoors. Photos (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Look Familiar ?

Female Familiar Bluet

This damsel fly is common statewide and has the longest flight period of any of our other bluets. The Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) may be found well into October at most any wet-spot near you. Females are usually hard to find in the wetlands; until they are ready to breed. These photos were taken near the Blackwater River in Tucker County, WV on September 4, 2014.

Male Familiar Bluet

(2014) High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) 2014 High Virginia Images..All Rights Reserved

Discovering Dragonflies

Male Common Whitetail

I was recently blessed with my discovery of Dragonflies and Damsels. I don't know why it took so long but I guess I just really never paid much attention to them. Yeah, there were big ones and little ones; bright ones and dull ones. But, I really never took time to look. During a short 30 minute time frame in August; I took photos of 8 different species and never moved more than 20 feet. Wow!

Got you thinking now, don't I? There are around 130-140 different species that may be possibly found in West Virginia. I am going to start out with one of our most common Odonata. The Common Whitetail (Libellula lydia) is a thick, stocky dragonfly that may be found statewide near any muddy bottomed pond, river or stream.It prefers to perch on a horizontal position on logs or rocks. The photo of the male was taken at Mill Creek Reservoir in Barbour County, WV. The female photo was taken at Condon Run in the Otter Creek Wilderness Area of Randolph County, WV.

Female Common Whitetail

 (c) 2014 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c)2014 High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

Pond Sex

Calico Pennant

I have been getting some much needed wandering and staring time recently. More on that later. I have been taking the dogs to quiet, peaceful places with water. The result? I have discovered the world of Damsels and Dragons and what a beautiful world it is. I had never paid much attention to these species in the past. I saw them, but never actually looked. My old camera didn't do a real good job of capturing the myriad of  colors, either. I never knew there were so many species in our area. If you are now wondering what you have missed, it is somewhere in the range of 120-140 species here in WV.

I have made just 3 short trips to sit and stare in dragonfly country and have collected photos of about 14 different species in around 2 hours of total time spent. I still have some photos that need a positive ID. Colors on most of these species is absolutely stunning when viewed up-close. Yep, this is becoming a new addiction. You can catch it to in any local wet spot. The top photo is a pair of Calico Pennants. The bottom photo is a yet to be identified damsel fly. I think it is one of the Bluets. I took these shots at Mill Creek Reservoir, near Belington yesterday. They were all taken during a half-hour time frame while not moving more than thirty feet. I also got a decent shot of a very small damsel fly actually depositing eggs on some submerged vegetation! Do yourself a favor, go sit and stare. You might learn something and it will not hurt at all.

(c) 2014 High Virginia Outdoors  Photos (c) 2014 High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved