Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River, Sunday, October 11, 2020. We had our quarterly bald eagle count early this morning. I got so soaking wet that the pockets on my rain coat were full of water! I did not take my cameras out this morning, nope, I left them in my truck. Got home and was going through my photos from yesterday, Saturday, and thought, you know what: maybe we all need some bright points of sunshine on this gray day. So, here is a pair of monarch butterflies from yesterday’s shoot. Enjoy them and take their brightness through the day with you. Take care, be safe. Stay very, very well.

Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River. I found myself gripping my toes, hard, inside my socks and shoes as I watched this immature great blue heron fishing in the little rapids at the riprap. Good thing his very flexible toes can cover a span the diameter of a dinner plate!

Jordan Lake, Haw River, Wednesday, October 7, 2020. For Doc Ellen’s Natural Minute I thought I would bring you a slow gentle mid-week break. The land snail surely is taking life gently and steadily, up on the riprap above the Haw River. Take care, be safe. Stay oh so well.

Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River: I had to stop going through the more than 200 photos I took of this butterfly this morning and share this long-tailed skipper with all of you. I have never seen a long-tailed skipper before. I understand from some reading that some years this skipper is fairly common here and then some years go by where there are only one or two seen. It tends to be a further south critter. It really is that iridescent! Now, back to going through the rest of the shoot.

Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River. There was a lot of fog across the river and up through the meadow this morning. It was delightfully cool. The fog looked like it had its long skirts on and was dancing to the morning song. Take care, be safe. Stay well!