Catching up
Sep. 6th, 2012 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mumsisdaughterWhat a wonderful summer it has been, after the wettest April, May and June on record. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, London 2012 Olympic Games and now the awe-inspiring Paralympic Games! So proud of all those taking part. The Post Office are having a hard time keeping up with the stamps of GB medal winners and there is a rash of gold-painted letter boxes to celebrate their success.
On a personal note, Gavin's 65th birthday party in July was fabulous: good company, fine weather and yummy food. One of the talking points of the day was the dragonfly drying out on its nymph case. We've never had so many dragonflies emerging from our pond as this summer. Twelve that we know of. All Southern hawkers.
Going to see Jenn, and Mark, tomorrow. Will probably stay for five days at Mark's place. He's still living at The Barn, managing to juggle his finances so he can keep it on. Jenn still flits between there and staying with Rich. She's known him almost a year but I can't get used to her not being with Mark. She has not been able to find her own flat yet. Pictures of her latest hair colour below the cut. She rings the changes by attaching coloured extensions underneath.
Have a photo of the first dragonfly :)
On a personal note, Gavin's 65th birthday party in July was fabulous: good company, fine weather and yummy food. One of the talking points of the day was the dragonfly drying out on its nymph case. We've never had so many dragonflies emerging from our pond as this summer. Twelve that we know of. All Southern hawkers.
Going to see Jenn, and Mark, tomorrow. Will probably stay for five days at Mark's place. He's still living at The Barn, managing to juggle his finances so he can keep it on. Jenn still flits between there and staying with Rich. She's known him almost a year but I can't get used to her not being with Mark. She has not been able to find her own flat yet. Pictures of her latest hair colour below the cut. She rings the changes by attaching coloured extensions underneath.
Have a photo of the first dragonfly :)
no subject
Date: 2012-09-06 08:08 pm (UTC)And it's incredible that you get so many dragonflies there - here we see them once in a blue moon, but I never thought about where they must come from/that garden ponds were part of their lifecycle.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-06 09:05 pm (UTC)Most dragonfly nymphs spend 3 to 5 years in a pond, steadily growing bigger and shedding their skins when they become too tight. I don't know what triggers the final change but when the time comes, the nymph climbs out of the pond and when the skin splits this last time it's a beautiful flying creature that emerges. They live for a few months after that, catching other insects on the wing, not necessarily near water. Having mated the female searches out a pond into which she lays the eggs. Even a small pond will do if you have a garden. I saw a female laying eggs this summer but we won't know if any nymphs have survived for another 3 to 5 years! It's certainly been a special summer :)
no subject
Date: 2012-09-07 09:34 am (UTC)