July 21st, 2008 - But I don't feel tardy

I'm here, I'm here! I'm just busy scratching insect bites and looking thru a ton of photos. As I'm SURE you all will remember, I was off to Ely, MN last Tuesday for a four-day environmental educators workshop, PLUS an additional daytrip via canoe into the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Wilderness). All of which was great. Lot's of learnin', books & swag, good Northern MN food (lumberjack breakfast, lunch & dinner. Phew, I'm poppin' my buttons here) and many beautiful nature photo ops on our field trips. And in town for that matter. Ely defies description in any language.

Here a dragonfly is munching down on a Cattail Mosquito while resting on Zoe's nice warm Fossil watchband. (There's something ironic about that, but I can't exactly put my finger on it.) The Mosquito's leg is still hanging out. It must be like trying to eat Buffalo Wings without using your hands.

I'm getting an odd image of Godzilla picking his teeth with a telephone pole.
Many, MANY dragonflies and damselflies were landing all over us and everything while we were stream-gauging and sampling macro-invertebrates. My theory is they knew what we were up to and were looking for an easy meal. A pan full of collected inverts sitting next to the creek must be like the buffet line at Red Roof Inn coming over to your patio.
Dewdrop defying gravitational forces were at work on a blade of grass on the lawn of Vermilion Community College in Ely, MN.
Yes, it was on the SIDE of the blade.