Indulging myself with the new lens I was on the prowl looking to take photos that previously were out of reach. Funny thing is that when you don’t have the tool to do the job right it seems opportunities arise constantly, reducing you to wistfully fantasize that someday you’ll be properly equipped. When that day arrives and you find yourself confident to go forward and tackle those objects which had previously been outside of your reach, they cannot be found. And that is how I found myself with my new lens: I was ready to shoot but little showed itself to my discerning eye. Where was that grizzly now? Ok, a wetland in Santa Barbara probably wasn’t the best location for tracking bears, but how about a dazzling bird, or a fluttering butterfly? Then in an instant there it was, a beautiful giant blue dragonfly zipping by.

Update: Somewhere just a few days after this with Uncle Woody at home and a rehabilitation therapist visiting on a regular basis, I’m assured that things will be okay and that I can return to Arizona. I’ll have just enough time to get ready for our fall trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for you guessed it, fall colors and some leaf-peeping.