It may be a while before I’m able to post again, but I sincerely hope not. I’ve been having trouble seeing details in low light for some time now, and I’ve found that it’s due to the development of cataracts in both my eyes. I’m having my old lenses replaced with new prosthetic ones, the first one tomorrow and the other a week later. It is reported to be a very routine and safe procedure, but I admit to a certain degree of apprehension when I contemplate this surgical invasion of one of my most valued assets. I’ll report on the results as soon as I have a good handle on how everything goes. Please wish me luck!
Meanwhile, let me take us back to a lovely sunny day back toward the end of June in northern Minnesota. The butterfly was a Pearl Crescent (Phycoides tharos). The next butterfly I will see will be in New Zealand in February—and I’ll be seeing it with new eyes!
As always, please click on the photo for a higher-resolution image.
krikitarts 
Don’t worry about cataract surgery. Several friends and relatives of mine have had it within the past two years, and they say it is no big deal. Their vision also improved dramatically.
Thanks very much for your encouragement!
Oh, my friend, I wish you all the luck in the world! Wow this is a bombshell! I look forward to your safe return. (The image is very beautiful.) Adrian
I really appreciate your kind words and good wishes, Adrian. I’m looking forward to my return, too!
Lovely shot and good luck with the eye surgery.
It’s commonplace surgery these days and both my parents have had it done. As long as it was one eye at a time, I guess I would be confident having it done (if I needed it).
Sorry to hear they’ve developed in the first place and you need surgery. It’s not until we have a problem with our eyes (or feet) that we realise how much we depend on them.
My 86 yr old Father had his eyes done only about a month or so ago and he reckoned he could see perfectly only a few days later. So I think that you can be very confident about this type of thing.
That helps too, Vicki, thanks a lot. Yes, it sure is easy to take something like good vision for granted–but never again!
I’ll be thinking of you my friend and look forward to reading your joyous post when you describe how clear and vibrant and beautiful everything looks :).
Oh, I am so looking forward to that, especially to be able to see clearly again at night and under dim conditions. Thank you so much!
My best wishes for complete restoration of your sight! I marvel at the beautiful images you captured even with some impairment. Love the grass in this butterfly shot.
The first one went very well and the improvement, though it’s still really early, appears to be fully meeting my expectations. I’ll need another month or so to find out if it meets my hopes. I thank you for the compliments!
Best wishes and prayers for a successful surgery, Gary. Your wonderful photos have inspired me and your generous words of encouragement have meant a lot to me during the18 months of my journey into photography. I look forward to your speedy return to this venue (and lots of new photos).
I’m feeling better about the whole thing each day, though things are so much brighter and clearer with the new eye that I’m afraid I may have to do some serious re-editing of some favorite photos regarding brightness, contrast, and the like…Thanks for the very kind words, Mike–I’ve really enjoyed following your development and always look forward to more!
Belated best wishes, Gary. I hope all is well.
Thank you so much, M. Yes, all is well, and I can’t wait for the second step in the process, in just a day and a half. The transition period between the first fix and the second one is disorienting in the extreme, and I’m so eager to go forth with the new resources!