Moments from River Patrol on the Silver River (in Silver Springs Florida, next to Ocala) where I am one of many CSO volunteers. This amazing, spring-fed river is now threatened more than during any other time during since it's rebirth more than 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. Let's all work hard to cherish and protect it for our grandchildren!
She has many names. Some call her Gaea. I put together this avatar and put her here to invite you to delight for a while in a small sample of the endless flow of earth's living miracles on the Silver River or wherever you may be, (to a few of which, I have had the luck of bearing witness with my camera). I feel privileged to have been there, occasionally, at just the right moment.
This splendid specimen is probably fresh from the chrysalis. Note the small caterpillar at the tip of his left wing. The two black spots on the innermost vein of the back wings identify a male. (Compare to the Viceroy butterfly).
This female praying mantis is keeping the spikes on her powerful front legs free of debris and ready for her next victim. Personally, I'm glad that insects are so much smaller than humans!
Alligators among other things are perfectly designed solar collectors and have been doing it for a long, long time. Their "scoots and ridges" supply about 80 percent of their heat energy, making hunting a lot less frequent than would otherwise be needed. So this gator is not really resting; he's actually hard at work surviving, something he's been doing oh so well for millions of years longer than we have.
Getting a bit crowded but, hey, that sun feels great and everybody seems to be facing in a reassuring direction.
It's been a long time! This is the first post of what I hope will be many. I've been busy building one house and renovating another, but now, hopefully, I will have more time to be out on my favorite river again. See you soon...
