Skywatch Friday - Arizona Sands Through the Hourglass

The Whetstone Mountains near Sierra Vista

Where has the time gone? The summer is slipping by so quickly. A week from tomorrow, I'm flying out to Tucson for the annual Invertebrates in Captivity (AKA Bugs in Bondage) Conference. It's one of my favorite events of the year. I'll get out and do a bunch of collectin. We are already putting together a shopping list of critters that we need for the Museum. I hope to do a lot more bug photography. There are numerous species of tiger beetles that I see regularly, but that don't yet appear (at least as live specimens) on BugGuide.Net. I want to hike in Madera Canyon. I have plans to meet blogger Kathie of Sycamore Canyon. I know several other bloggers down that way, perhaps some of us will get to meet up as well.

This year's conference really causes me to reflect on the passage of time. This is the tenth anniversary of my first conference. I remember being immediately welcomed into that community even though I didn't know very much beyond butterflies at that time. People have been so generous with their knowledge. I still sometimes think of my work at the Museum as my"new" job, even though my eleventh anniversary of employment was this past Sunday. The conference involves beautiful surroundings, good people, and great intellectual stimulation. Oh yeah, it also involves lots of great bugs. It's a time where I feel aware of the richness of life, and for that I am always grateful.