Fall on the Prairie

Paynes Prairie is, to my mind, at it's most beautiful right now. The scrub is covered with a frosting of white leaves, and all the grasses and rushes are exploding into cotton wool, as their seeds fly and spread across the swamps and marshes. The Prairie encompasses a 22,000-acre savanna south of Gainesville, Florida. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. The prairie became the stronghold of the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe under chief Ahaya the Cowkeeper in the 18th century. It is named for the Cowkeeper's eldest surviving nephew, Payne.
Until I enlarged the image, I didn't notice the dragonfly!