Sunsets, sunrises, planets, etc,

This summer has been a beauty for sunrises and sunsets, and we're only half way through. Here's a couple of samples:

Sunset, Jan 25th

Sunrise, Jan 29th

Venus is still putting on a good show in the pre-dawn sky, and now she has a companion, with Jupiter dancing around her.

The Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky.

There's been lots of beautiful dragonflies whizzing around and I've been trying to ID them.  With a bit of help from Bryan Haywood's excellent mini-series on Odonata I've concluded that they're Tau Emeralds.

Tau Emerald (Hemicordulia tau)

The other parts of Bryan's series can be found here, here and here.

It would've been my Mum's 95th birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Mum.