Conjuring the Dragons of Summer To Tame the Chill of February

Hmmm, dare I begin the countdown to summer when icicles still dangle from the rooftops?

We are still firmly in the frosty grip of Old Man Winter. But already I am conjuring up images of the warm breezes of spring and the lazy, hazy days of summer. Around this time in the chilly days of February, I retreat into my photograph collection and transport myself to the gentler months that lie ahead where the dragons of summer hold court.

 

American Emeralds are the most common of the Emerald family of dragonflies. But convincing one to pose for a photograph is a true test of patience. Emeralds constantly dart and hover, dart and hover, dart and hover and only infrequently condescend to perch.

But the wait is well rewarded for the chance to admire the emerald eyes, the fuzzy teddy bear brown thorax and the spindle shaped abdomen. The perching posture of the Emerald show above seems ever so precarious anchored to the fragile beam of a broad green leaf.

Clubtail dragonflies, on the other hand, are quite cooperative as they perch at least as often as they fly. But distinguishing one Clubtail species from another is a daunting task and guesswork at best unless you are an expert in the field.

I’ve identified this specimen as a Lilypad Clubtail which may or may not be accurate. But kudos to it for resting placidly on the green expanse of a floating lily pad where its subtle colours and intriguing markings are shown off in fine style.

Spiketails are one of the larger dragonflies and always a treat to spot. You would think they would be difficult to miss based on their impressive size. But they are well camouflaged and blend in to their environment amazingly well.

This Twin-spotted Spiketail did me the favour of posting at just the right angle to show off both its twinned rows of vibrant yellow spots and its equally eye-catching yellow thorax stripes. It was the highlight of one summer day of dragonfly sleuthing.

The dragons of summers past remain ever faithful as harbingers of sun-bleached days yet to come and metaphors of the graces of summer in all its extravagance. The chills of February seem a bit less disheartening when I relive these memories of summers past.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week