, a photo by jialiar on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I am on the road for a while here, so my posts will probably be sporadic at best. I thought I would try to get one in today while I’m housebound…

Yes, speaking of being housebound, it all started yesterday on an ill-fated jaunt, and a bipedal one (which is important later) as I am without vehicle, to the Assabet National Wildlife Refuge, located in Maynard, Massachusetts (among other towns/municipalities). The name states that animals find refuge, but it fails to intimate that it is a paradise for deer flies and mosquitoes, and a living hell for humans (who don’t apply bug spray — and who knows if that would have done any good). The nasty biters were so overwhelming I could barely stand still to look for subjects let alone focus on shooting them. The worst part was I kept walking around going in large loops in hopes of finding a more photographer friendly area, to the point, where I overdid it and have been laid up with a bad back (that is asking to resume a supine position as I type) since I returned to (my temporary) home!

Longstoryshort, I happened up on a clearing on the path I was taking back home, a gravelly, sandy road that was getting enough sun to be inhospitable to some of the mosquitoes. I noticed the little dark low-flying shapes that turned out to be tiger beetles. It was a long day, and they are not exactly the type of subjects to redeem it, as they are no easy target, but I got a few decent shots (and probably helped kill my back in the process) and I thankfully didn’t have to go home empty-handed after such a long, tortuous day.