They’ve been studied by military flight engineers who long to uncover their secrets of aviation. This time of year, however, their talent for insect control is what Mainers value them for...
Dragonflys, that is. As soon as they begin to skillfully and silently weave through the air in early June, relief from mosquitos and black flies is surely not far behind.
Almost without exception our insectivorous saviors ignore us. Almost, that is. While I was taking my morning walk today, one of our needle-shaped, narrow-winged allies chanced to land upon my leg.
“Most unusual.” I thought. I briefly considered brushing it away, but then decided that if this worthy insect wanted a rest from its relentless pursuit of pests, that it should have. “It will no doubt fly off in short order.” I said to myself.
Fly it did, but a short flight indeed- up to my sleeve. I stretched out my arm, partly to get a good look at it, and partly to get it as far away from me as possible. Though I knew it was harmless it was still... well, it was still a large insect sitting on my sleeve.
I kept waiting for it, in fact willing it, to fly away, but its only movement was to twist around a bit on its tiny legs, rotating until it faced me. And then it stared at me... “If dragonflys could talk, and one landed on my sleeve to have a conversation with me, this is exactly the position it would take.” I mused. Caught up in the eye of this curiously positioned dragonfly, I half expected it to deliver some sort of mystic message...
Perhaps it expected to receive a message from me... “Thank you for a bug-free walk” would have been in order. But I didn’t think of that till long after he had taken leave of my sleeve...
.
9 comments:
I remember these see through biplanes scaring the crap out of me in suburban swimming pools in Melbourne each summer. I was probably small enough to appear to be insect larvae, or whatever they eat.
There is a very cool doco about dragonfly, from the dragonfly point of view, brutsl critters they are. Very territorial and aggressive amongst themselves. I think it is an Attenborough thing, usual spectaculatr photography.
I like the idea of thanking an insect for services rendered. Maybe it was a dragonfly dreaming it was a man?
And the funny thing is that they don't look like dragons... Not that I've ever seen a dragon...
Really? There are lots of dragons in Australia.
Put one in a box, and send it to me. In return I'll put a Bear in a box and send it to you. Deal?
Ours are Australian dragons, of course they are bigger than your standard dragon. Everything is bigger down here.
Not sure I can afford the postage.
You've given me a brilliant idea for a new mail order business.
Reckon I'll slide over to your side of the country and see a bear for real.
Ideas for you new mail order business: you can send out Dragon Eggs instead of actual dragons! Of course you’ll have to include incubating instructions and magic spells and whatever else it takes to hatch the egg, but I’m sure any woman with maternal instinct would be able to nurture the egg into hatching. “But,” you say, “...that leaves out 50% of my potential customers!” No, my friend. Offer the eggs as a sure-fire chick magnet for lonely heart males! Imagine this: (lonely male to attractive female): “I need your help! I unexpectedly came into ownership of a Dragon Egg, and it desperately needs a warm touch and nurturing know-how that I simply do not have! Not to mention that I have no idea how to care for the cute little dragon that will soon hatch! Please come to my place and take a look...” No woman could resist!
As to ‘everything is bigger down here...”- once word gets out about that, offers of Romantic Asylum in Far Off Lands will abound! *giggle*
I like the way you think.
Lateral too, small, mailable eggs. Brilliant.
The hackneyed dragon egg line, do women really still fall for that old chestnut?
We take photos of crocodiles and say they are ghekko, keep the "big stuff" lie going. Seems to work.
I love these close encounters with the non-human. It's true, we don't know what they mean from the other side of the "conversation," but I like to think something mutually meaningful is transpiring.
Thanks for the comment, Beggar. As to meaning, I think it all just means that I have a wild imagination! Which is not a bad thing, really...
Post a Comment