A Pair of Pearl Crescents at Whipple Dam

I can't say that I understand why it took us so long to get back to my favorite swimming hole, but on this day, we finally did it.

My husband and I stopped for a pair of truly luscious cheesesteaks at C.C. Pepper's in town, ran a few errands, and then spent the rest of the afternoon at Whipple Dam State Park, one of my favorite places on earth.

I can tell you a few reasons why I like it there. It has the best selection of dragonflies and damselflies I know of anywhere, the water is cool and clear and refreshing, and it is very quiet and peaceful.

There are no main roads running through the park, and boats with engines are not permitted on the lake. You wouldn't end up there unless you were going there on purpose. All of these things add to the peace and tranquility of the place.

I walked around along the shore for almost an hour before we swam, drinking it all in, simply being happy to be back, the way you are when you finally return to a favorite place you haven't been to in a while.

And then, finally, we swam. And the water was delicious on my skin. I went under like a mermaid, my hair rippling around me like a curtain. I floated on my back. I watched the sky.

I counted my blessings. I fell in love with sweet summer. I remembered what it felt like to be enchanted again. (Trust me on this: It is well worth being reminded.) I was deeply, deeply happy, and at peace.

I took too many pictures, I know I did: of the sweet, tiny damselflies along the shore; of the water and the reflections; of the families with little children and old people having harmless, age-old fun. My pictures could have been taken 50 years ago, or 100; nothing changes there.

But I took the most photos of the tiny orange butterflies (each one about an inch wide, or 3 to 4 cm) that were pollinating white flowers along the sunny bank. They are pearl crescents, Phyciodes tharos.

There were at least a half-dozen of them on the plant I was watching at one point in time, and they were friendly and easy to photograph. This is probably my favorite photo I took of them.

You've heard of going mano a mano; this one is proboscis a proboscis. But nobody was fighting, actually, so that is a misnomer.

Everyone was eating cooperatively, sharing the white flowers with each other; even the larger bees were welcome. Everywhere I looked, there was peace.

For the soundtrack to this image, I wanted something with the word Pearl in it. So here is Pearl Jam, with Given to Fly. (Note that it features a sign language interpreter on the far right, who is making the song accessible to the deaf. At the end of the song, Eddie Vedder dances with her.)