Story and photos by Alan McCord
 As the sun crested the distant tree line, I revelled in another fabulous morning. For the next half hour things would really come to light. The water droplets adorning various spider webs began to shimmer and divulged some of the field’s inhabitants. Dew-laden grasses and wildflowers sparkled as the angle of the sun slowly rose to the point where physics lessons became a reality. Coloured prisms filled my eyes. My reflective pause lapsed and I stepped into chest high grasses.
My footsteps pushed two Meadowhawk dragonflies into the air. Burdened by the dew, they didn’t seem to be flying very well and quickly set themselves back down - one out of sight and the other atop a head level thistle blossom about 15 feet away. The view was wonderful. In its new position between the rising sun and myself, the dew on its wings lit up like jewels and I had to contain my immediate enthusiasm to move forward and attempt a quick photo. It was turning out to be a good morning.
For the past decade, I’ve combined photography with a love of the outdoors as an important element contributing to balance in my life. Taking some time to slow down and appreciate nature seems to help recharge my batteries and keep things in perspective.
“…a taste for the beautiful is most cultivated out of doors.” – Henry David Thoreau
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