New Year Odo

One day, someone who shall remain nameless may stop inventing jobs around the house for the DIY team. I didn’t buy a holiday retreat to create more work, after all. Keep it minimalist, keep it simple – just live in it.

Despite best efforts, I’ve inevitably ended up with a minor collection of tools, fixings and tubes of goop. Naturally, I rarely possess precisely what is needed for the next job. Today we chatted up a friend close by to borrow a drill so I could install a new full length mirror. Doubtless, I’ll end up buying my own in the fullness of time.

My normally incorrect tools have hitherto been living in a large plastic storage bin, along with all my fixings and “things that might prove useful one day”. Everything gets mixed up and finding what I think I might have takes an age, especially if I haven’t actually got it. 😀 We popped out just before lunch to visit our local Chinese bazaar in the hope of finding something to improve our storage. A cheap plastic tool box seemed just the ticket; at least, I hoped it would be.

J15_3339 January OdoSince we were near the local stream and the sun was once again shining, albeit accompanied by a stiff breeze, I went armed with a camera to see if any pals were still in residence. I’d failed a few days earlier but this time, to my surprise and joy, I spotted an Odo flitting about in the sunshine but I immediately lost track of it. Francine joined in the search and spotted it sunbathing on the ground behind me. We’re sure there were at least two, possibly three. After stalking them for some time and swapping to a macro lens, I came away with a decent shot. I’m pretty sure these were Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum).

Odos on 3rd January! Now, should I be calling these the earliest Odos I’ve ever seen, since this is the start of a new year, or are they the latest I’ve ever seen? I’m going with latest since they are certainly remnants from the closing season rather than newly emerged individuals in a new season. The year boundary is entirely artificial, after all.

Posted in 2015 Feliz Navidad

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