With all his Tiny Eyes

Hubs and I got back from our RV getaway around 1 and after a quick bite of lunch, I grabbed my macro lens and headed to the garden.  In addition to at least 6 monarchs and as many Painted Ladies, I also found my very first Ambush Bug of the season - stay tuned to this space for more on him.  Ditto for a tiny Northern Crab Spider.  I would happily have blipped either of them, but then --- our eyes met and it was instant love.  

This Autumn Meadowhawk is perhaps 1.5 inches on his best day, small in the world of dragons.  But what he lacks in size he makes up for in charisma.  Not to mention that they tend to stay perched even when you approach very, very closely.  This shot was taken from about 10 inches and has been cropped less than 10% on a full frame camera.  Probably would have benefited from an extension tube to get better detail on the eyes but then I would've lost even more depth of field. Pfft.

We unloaded RV and now I'm doing laundry.  As this will be our last trip of the season, we will do a very deep inside and outside cleaning, store all bedding and soft goods, remove anything that might be damaged by freezing and do our best to make everything as unappealing as possible for any wayward mice.  I'm stocked with peppermint essential oil and cotton balls which I'm told is excellent for repelling mice.  And it makes everything smell like candy canes.  

A big WOOF to Barking for hosting TinyTuesday this month!   

And thanks for your kind comments on my blip yesterday - as you know, it's not the sort of thing I usually do, but it felt right. And if you're wondering, no, he didn't catch anything.  The kids who were fishing just down the shore a bit hauled in several good sized fish, including a pike.  But you know, it isn't always about the fish - sometimes it's just about the fishing.

xo
Debbi