If you haven’t noticed, I have a rather rigid blogging schedule. My Science Sunday plan fell by the wayside a while back as I underestimated the amount of time I would have to spend grading this semester, but I otherwise stick quite firmly to my Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule. Having this schedule helps keep me motivated to blog and it has really worked for me. But recently I’ve been incredibly busy and there are some big changes happening in my life (which I’ll tell you all about soon!) and it’s become a bit of a chore to keep up with my regular blogging schedule. I still love blogging and I still get an enormous rush every time I publish a new post, but now and then I run into a wall where I feel like I have absolutely nothing to say. Today is definitely one of those days. I’ve stared at this screen trying to come up with something to blog about and I’ll be honest – I got nothin’.
So, today I’m doing something I don’t normally do: I’m just letting it go. I’m not going to force it. I’m just going to post a few photos of lovely places I’ve collected/working/bug photographing in the past year or so and call it a day. I’ve already got the month’s Well-Nigh Wordless Wednesdays uploaded and I’ve got a fun Friday 5 planned for this week, so I’ll be right back on schedule after today. But for today you just get some photos. Enjoy!
My favorite place to collect giant water bugs. It’s got an incredibly thick mud layer at the bottom so more than one field assistant has gotten stuck and/or fallen in (I’ve done it several times!), but this place is always cool and beautiful. Mint lines the spring-fed creek and it’s full of watercress, which turns the surface of the water bright, vivid green. A perfect place to spend half a day!
This is the local park where the students in the class I’m teaching this semester go to do their field trip. It’s a lovely bit of native desert land, but there are some interesting people there – and a lot of the kinds of trash you’d really prefer not to see in a park where people bring their kids. Still, I saw some nice bugs and my students loved the trip, so it was a good couple of days!
My wonderful brother-in-law passed away last summer after a long battle with cancer, and I spent quite a lot of time in the Flagstaff area as he neared the end of his life. During any downtime during visits, or when I just needed to get outside for a bit, I headed outside to photograph insects or run errands for my sister. I got this shot during a lovely storm during one of those errand trips. It sort of sums up the emotions I was feeling at the time, so I’m glad I got the shot.
Madera Canyon has always been one of my favorite places to go in southern Arizona, ever since I was a little kid. The water is beautifully clear and cool and there are always friendly people around. There are some special birds there (vermillion flycatcher and elegant trogon, among others) that attract birders and they are generally quite happy to stop by and ask what I’m doing sloshing around in the stream with a soup strainer. :)
If I drive down to the end of my street, this is the view I get. I’m in love with these mountains, the Santa Catalina Mountains. This is also where I found the mantid egg case that hatched recently. There’s a “river” between where I’m standing and the houses. It has water in it approximately two weeks every year, so there are full-blown trees growing in the riverbed. Someday a big flood will rip them all out, but for now they seem to be quite happy living in the river. I don’t blame them!
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The Dragonfly Woman 
If I may gush a bit, the dedication, thoroughness, and readability you put into your posts are inspiring. You’ve nothing to apologize for when taking a brain-break every so often!
Aw… Thank you so much! I know none of you all really care that much whether I stick to my schedule or not, but the perfectionist in me goes nuts when I hit writer’s block when I’m trying to create a post. This is one of the first posts where I just let myself slack without even feeling bad. I feel I’m making progress! :)
Wow, that shot of the tiny house in the HUGE landscape is very beautiful. good for you just popping up some shots and calling it a day. i am still looking out for my first dragon flies so that i can tell you when and where with a shot, but who do i tell about the monarchs? I think you need a cup of tea and a wee lie down. Don’t forget to look after yourself.. c
Ha ha! I am certainly not short on tea. I drink something like 8 or more cups a day, have a whole cabinet full of the stuff. But I’m glad you liked the photo of the house with the mountains. I don’t know… There’s just something about that one that perfectly sums up that particular point in time, even if it is a little blurry and I took it with my phone.
Love your photos. Very lovely. The words will be back soon like the moon passing from behind a cloud. I invite you to visit my blog.
Thank you so much! And I already have a good idea for next week’s Monday post! Writer’s block conquered.
Brilliant :)
Don’t sweat it ! We’ll still be here to read whatever you have to write – whenever that may be.
Good to know! Thanks!
I did enjoy, thank you.
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I’m so glad!
great post. lovely images. i love the view from the end of your street. such a blessing. your students are lucky. keep on posting. everything you write is highly readable… even today, when you say you “got nothin'”!
Thanks! And I think I’m lucky to have such a great view too. I can’t see the mountains from my house at all, but all I have to do is walk out to the the street and there they are. A quick drive to the end of my street provides the view in the photo. They’re not exactly the Rockies that I grew up with, but the elevation difference between the city and the top of the mountain is still a good 6000 feet – and there are 2 other mountain ranges in town too. I love it!