The Wright Stuff

Visiting the site of Wrights Station was one of my buddy Steve's favorite routes. He always relished the opportunity to introduce fellow cyclists to its history.

Today I was on my own. Four of us had set out together; one turned back, as expected, after the first climb. I toyed with the idea of following the other two on a longer excursion to the end of Highland Way, but knowing the day would get hotter I reckoned I would lose the motivation to drop down to Wrights Station (and then climb back up).

And I did want to visit Wrights today. I lingered on the bridge, alone with my thoughts. I'd never noticed fruit among the foliage, till now. Bright red orbs, others golden yellow. Maybe I'd never been down here at just the right time, or maybe too busy chatting with my fellow cyclists to look around.

High overhead, something caught my eye: a bright orange dragonfly perched at the top of a thin, bare branch.

Could I get a closer look with my phone's zoom lens?

It was challenging to hold steady enough to focus, but ... color me impressed. My subject was most cooperative, posing with wings spread and staying still.

I climbed back up from the creek, regretfully leaving the shade of the redwoods to return to the hot side of the hill after cycling 18 miles, with ~1,700 feet of climbing.