He takes his marks and zones out focusing and ready to go
The judge looks closely at his perfect form in the very difficult Railing Hang event finals.
I think he wins a gold medal, don't you!
At the Grove Plantation, headquarters for the famous ACE Basin reserve, we were lucky enough to glimpse a wood nymph butterfly. He was well inside a small shrub and very hard to get a good shot at. They are not common and it was the first time I'd ever seen one.
We got a laugh out of this sign we saw. This small building had been little rural gas station with beer and goodness knows what else offered. It closed when the owner died and stood idle for months. This is what is going to open there now.
And today's squirrel Olympics features the Peanut Hang. This competitor will have several points deducted for letting his legs come apart and not keeping his toes pointed.
Not very attractive at all, but so interesting. Bot fly larvae emerging from little tumors on a squirrel. The squirrel was fine and grew new fur on this area in a couple of weeks.
Not many swamps are as pretty as a cypress one.
Now on to a little bit of nature porn.
Two anoles mating. 
A six inch long lubber grasshopper ovipositing--laying eggs in a hole she made in the ground. 
Robber flies mating--sort of long distance.
Roseate skimmer dragonfly--what a color! But this was late in the season and just look at those ragged wings. 
A newly emerged cicada drying its wings. After a couple of hours, it was all brown and ready to go.
This gorgeous cougar is one of the animals that lives in the original animal section of Charlestowne Landing--a living museum of how life was in the 1600s in this area.
Dragonflies are viscious! Here's one devouring a moth.
So are fiddler crabs. This was a fight started by a young male with a dominant one--the youngster didn't stand a chance.
I hope you've found these somewhat unusual moments of South Carolina lowcountry nature. Let me know!
Thanks.
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