Night of the Fireflies

Miss Ariel came to visit for a short weekend. We went out to lunch, then decided to 'do' downtown Viroqua. The vinyl record store, used book store, second hand stores, and a couple of other downtown shops and the crazy old mall that was once a car dealership.

I picked up a couple of things and fell in love with a gypsy type skirt of wild colors and a pair of gypsy pants. I don't know why I needed something like that, but I did.

I found a t-shirt I couldn't pass up.

Happy me! A new store is opening downtown.

It will be buying and selling used Legos! 

Also other games and of course a gaming club I think!

Yes!!

We spent our downtime teaching Hannah the ins and outs of fetching and 'leave it'. Hannah was entranced with Ariel [Charlie loves her also]. So I had her doing some of the repeat work with her.

Hannah learned that you get a treat once in a while when you 'leave it'  or drop the ball in a human hand.

We did multiple doggy walks and enjoyed the cool air. Ariel wanted to get her steps in. I wanted to exercise the pups. 

When the sunset started I ran inside and grabbed a camera. The colors were incredibly intense.

The pine trees are in front of the house which you might be able to barely see in the bottom right corner.

It wasn't so dark that we couldn't see around us and as the color faded from the skies we started seeing hundreds of fireflies.

I set up the camera during the blue hour and started to use a computational thingy on the camera called LiveComp which records any change in light every 4 seconds or whatever you set it too.

I was super happy with the driveway photo. Ariel watched with some amazement too. I doubt she ever stood and just let nature flow over her like that in the semi dark. I pointed out that the lighting bugs often stayed off the gravel and stuck to the long grasses on each side of the driveway and in the forest.

I turned the camera to the neighbor's meadow which hasn't been grazed or mowed in over 10 years.

I let the camera go on for 20 minutes compiling flashes of light.

Long exposure with moving clouds...

30 seconds of the same area.

It was like the insects were doing a special dance just for us and all we had to do was watch. One even landed on my hand and another in my hair.

You could say I was immersed in it.

As was Ariel.

The pups were sleeping in the house when we finished.