Thunder thighs

I paid a disappointing visit to Grove Hill this afternoon, en route to an extremely trying session of beating my head against the brick wall of bureaucracy. All in all, not the best of days, though having L at my side through the afternoon's meetings was beyond invaluable. After all the years of her childhood during which we furiously alternated roles in the game of Irresistible Force Meets Immovable Object, it really shouldn't be a surprise to me that together we make a pretty effective team, but I find that even when you admire your children as much as I do mine, it's surprisingly hard to move the avatar in your head beyond the stroppy little madam they were at four (seven/twelve/sixteen) years old.

Anyway, of the few invertebrates that presented themselves to my lens this afternoon, this Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) gave me the easiest shot and the most satisfactory result. You'd think to look at them that those swollen hind legs were bursting with muscle, but I've seen quite a few individuals with a dented thigh, looking like a crushed car bumper after a minor prang, and as the owners always seem unperturbed and unimpeded by this injury I've come to the conclusion that their body builder legs actually don't serve much practical purpose, and the swellings are there purely to impress the laydees.