The First Butterfly

 

Where are all the butterflies—the bright ones with the huge wings? Why haven't I come across them yet this summer? Is it because of this merciless, grueling heat that drying almost everything in its path?

And yet, here is the first, a solitary July butterfly, delicate and simple, with a strange name - the Cabbage White butterfly. 

Chasing Butterflies - II.

Swallowtail butterflies.

Generally, life is good.

Chasing Butterflies - I

Swallowtail butterflies.

This morning, I embarked on a "grand" adventure: literally chasing butterflies. My weapon of choice? A macro lens. The results? Mostly blurry whispers of wings. 

Disappointing, to say the least. It was until I swapped my futile macro lens for a "mighty" telephoto, and suddenly the little winged acrobats finally decided to cooperate.

Generally, life is good.

In The Wasatch Mountains - XII. Forest Bathing

 

I recently learned about bathing in the forest.  Forest bathing originated in Japan, where they call it shinrin-yoku. The Japanese see forest bathing is serious medicine.  Trees are healers.  

The first rule of forest bathing is that you walk very slowly.

Our forests mostly are high in the mountains and a few days ago I went for my first forest bathing and hiked in the mountains very slow.

Nothing really happened - but that is the whole point. I listened to the birds, photographed dragonflies and butterflies.

I didn't bring my phone with me to the woods, turned off the radio while driving home and everything looked a little more vivid and different. 

Butterfly landed briefly on the flowers to collect nectar.

A big fat wasp is feasting on the mountains flowers.

A dragonfly that looks like an alien who visited our planet.

Life goes on.

On the North Arm Wildlife Trail

 

A few days ago I discovered the North Arm Wildlife Trail that begins on the north side of Pineview Reservoir.  This trail runs through riparian wetland and its ecosystem is so different from where I live.

This trail is almost a paradise with tall trees, wild flowers and birds. There are a few little streams there and my heart were singing with joy when I stopped by them.

I saw a flying Bold Eagle in the sky and was surprised to see this raptor in the middle of the summer. I found two Osprey nests.  Sadly, one was empty and abandoned but another was in use by a couple of Ospreys.

 

The only bird I was able to photograph on the trail that day was a female Blackbird.

 

Two butterflies were ready to mate .

I wish I could get closer to water but unfortunately I chose a wrong way and started to get stuck in the swamp land and turned around.

Generally, life is good!

Flying Flowers

   
Once I read that butterflies are flying flowers 
with singing and dancing souls.
I liked it a lot.
 

Chasing Butterflies - I.

Last summer I was wandering on the deserted streets trying hard and not successfully to do street photography.  This summer I am chasing birds and butterflies and happy.  By the way, a butterfly's life is so short.  It lives only one day or two but for her it's an eternity.

Neon Soul - II. Where Do You Go...

Where do you go when the world  is too loud. 
and the thick of the air is too heavy to move through?
how do you find place
and where does it feel good?

Alexandra Elle