Dragonflies and cypress trees! I did not know either until I moved to Louisiana some 20+ years ago. I’m sure we had dragonflies in Iowa, but I paid them no attention. Cypress trees? Nope. Of course not. Learning to appreciate the beauty of a swamp was one big adjustment for this yankee, and cypress trees sure helped.

This exquisitely beautiful spot is at Black Bayou Lake NWR on the north side of Monroe, La. Slide your kayak (or canoe) between the cypress trees, get to this open area in the middle, lean back (carefully), and drink in the peace and beauty. It will restore your soul.

Cathédrale de Cyprès is currently in an online show called “Gardenia 2024: Trees, Leaves, Flowers, Blossoms” hosted by the online artist management platform Biafarin. The show will be up until September 17. You can see it here.

What fun to discover a new gallery called The Hummingbird & Dragonfly Gallery! It was founded in 2023 and the current featured online exhibit is called “Nature’s Beauty.” The show includes landscapes as well as all kinds of critters, but true to their name, the top row of images in the show are all hummingbirds and dragonflies.

That means my Roseate Skimmer is front and center, because it is the only dragonfly in the show, and will be one of the first things you’ll see if you check out the show here. It will be up until September 29.

BTW, this image is available as a square print through the gallery during the show, but it is also available–always–as a notecard directly from me. Indeed, I have a “Dragonfly Collection” of 5×7 notecards.