Dancing Dragonflies

This morning was amazing! After my morning exercise workout, I went out to the front porch to sit in the sun. I brought a book I’ve been reading and settled into the first few paragraphs when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

A lone dragonfly meandered back and forth across the yard. Then another joined, and another, and another until there were at least a dozen or more. All were darting back and forth, flying in a straight path and suddenly taking a sharp turn veering back around. The sun shimmered off their bronze bodies propelled by paper thin wings. The see-through wings remind me of vein patterns in tree leaves.

My body, exhausted from the workout, allowed my mind to focus on the movement patterns of the dragonflies. What were they doing? Were they hunting mosquitoes? We had recent rains and I didn’t sit out the last few days because of the mosquitoes.

I saw no mosquitoes today. A single red ant scout wandered along the porch floor, then crawled over my bare foot. I gently moved him back onto his path and wished him a good day. Long ago I read that red ants eat flea nymphs in the yard and ever since I’ve let them be to do their job. And I’ve not had a flea on the dogs since.

I returned my attention to the dragonflies and the little ecosystem in and around the big sunflowers. Tiny bees and little flies darted in and out of the flowers and along the stalks.

But not outside of the sunflower.

That was interesting. Are they wary of the dragonflies? Or just busy with their morning routine?

A Mississippi Kite drifted along a current high above near a fading cloud in the pale blue sky. The heat was setting in and sweat rolled down from my forehead. The dancing dragonflies were still mesmerizing though, and I was not ready to go in.

I’ve never seen so many dragonflies in my yard at once before. Lakes and ponds, yes. But not in my yard. I feel seeing things like this are significant in meaning for one who is gifted the experience. What is the spiritual meaning of dragonfly? Transformation and change are one of the things they symbolize. The dragonflies are nearing the end of their time, just as summer is also almost at end and autumn will be slipping in soon.

The release of one part of life to birth into another. I hope it’s a good change that is coming.

A Mourning Dove flew down to the yard and waddled in the grass searching for seed. Another cooed in the tree along the driveway. And I heard a “chip chip” from a mystery bird across the way.

I noticed fewer dragonflies darting back and forth, then some would come back. Then fewer still, until just four or five remained, meandering back and forth from one end of the yard to the other. Until one lone dragonfly remained, back and forth, back and forth, peering into the porch, and then, it was gone.

Elated with joy at my morning visitors and drenched from sweat from the heat, I picked up my unread book and went back into the house.

Time to start the day . . .