Tricks That The Eyes Play

  I will be the first to admit that my eyesight sure isn't what it used to be.  For the past ten years or so I have had to wear reading glasses.  Then as the insurance people required, I had an eye exam and was told that I needed bifocals.  Well, that was purely a waste of money!  Not only could I not read with those glasses but I felt nauseous when I walked while wearing them.  Nope.  No way!  I refused to wear the glasses.  A year later, I was required to go to the eye doctor once again.  This doctor said that my eyes were ok and I did not need prescription glasses.  She took my reading glasses, wrote down the "prescription" and sent me back to the dollar store to get another pair just to keep on hand.  Now, sitting in the desk drawer is a nigh on $300 pair of useless spectacles and I am back to wearing a $1 pair of reading glasses full time.  Perhaps some day the others may come in handy but, for now, they are just clutter.

  The eyes can, however, play tricks on the mind. You are always seeing the infamous "dress" or "shoes" on social media asking "What color do you see?"  Or a weird photo of a cat looking upwards with the caption of "Is it a bird or cat?"  In the real world, things are about the same.  For instance, a few days ago, I was on the pier and photographed what appeared to be a jet-black dragonfly.  This amazing find would have thrilled me had I not already known the identity of the critter.  This was a Slaty Skimmer and is not actually all black!   The male dragonfly is actually blue with a black head.  The overcast skies made the critter appear black.  It is a common mistake folks make when trying to find the identity of the Slaty.  "I found a solid black dragonfly!  What kind is it?" is a common question presented to entomologists.  Then, it is often hard to convince the discoverers of the "black dragonfly" that they were merely being tricked by the lighting.  On bright, sunshiny days, the male Slaty is a powdery blue and not even that dark! (Females are sort of brown with a dark stripe and black head.)

  The Slaty Skimmer is one of the most common of all dragonflies and can often be seen sunning themselves in marshes, near ponds or even pastures.  The male and female will mate in flight then she will lay her eggs in a nearby bit of fresh water by skimming and dotting the surface.  Be on the lookout for Slaty Skimmers and try to view them in both sunshine and shade to get this crazy coloring effect!  You eyes may deceive you!