A Flying Jewel

Rain was predicted for later in the day, but in the morning, it was clear. Good for swimming. So we tossed a few things in the car and took off for a quick morning swim at Whipple Dam, one of our favorite local swimming spots.

Whipple Dam itself is a park that was built near the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps (or CCC) camp from the 1930s. The CCC was a Depression-era public work relief program: participants planted trees, built parks, and constructed roads. The original camp, a bit east of the current park, was Owls Gap Camp, and it was active from 1933 to 1941. Many of the park's charming buildings and structures date from that time period. It's one of the things I enjoy best about the park: its old-fashioned yet timeless feel.

Summer is flying right past, quicker than you think. We've moved into August now, and that means that for most state parks, swimming season will end in about a month. Many of the parks with pools or swimming areas close them around Labor Day weekend, the first weekend in September. Before that, we'll try to pack in as much summer fun as we can manage.

But before we swim, I always take my camera and wander along the edge of the lake, looking for dragonflies and frogs. On this morning, it was rather cool yet, so I didn't see a lot of them, but I did find a few small damselflies perched on grasses along the water's edge.

The one in this photo is a variety of spreadwing damselfly, I'm not sure the specific kind. I adore fancy bugs and this is one of the best. Bedecked with blue and green sparkles and with shiny silver spangles on its wings, the bug seemed to me to be a tiny flying jewel.

The song to accompany the photo of this jeweled creature who lives at one of my favorite old-fashioned parks is just an Old Fashioned Love Song, by the Three Dog Night.