Day 21: Another Day That Changed My Life

Once I thought experts knew everything about their subject. When I earned a Ph.D., I learned the limits of exertise. Today, an expert confirmed what I already thought: "Female bluet. Unfortunately, there are a lot of look-alikes." I laughed.

"Why does this make me happy?"

A friend emailed today to recount her four straight days of garden work.

She finally sat down this afternoon and saw the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season.

"Why does this make me happy?" she asked.

I don't know.

Nor do I know why the Bluets,

Six Pointed Fishing Spider,

mating Red-spotted Newts,

or season's first emergent dragonfly, the Springtime Darner,

make me happy.

But they do. 

Ain't spring grand?

Traffic Jam

Where water pours into Lake Cheston from the woods, I stood on the small wooden bridge.  The Common Green Darner jetted up and down and around the shore, weaving in and out of the cattails, now speeding faster than I could watch, then stopping in mid-air like a basketball pro on the court.  The little red Calico Pennant balanced on the tip of a grass spear, idle.  The Banded Pennants snapped to and mated; the Eastern Amberwings hovered over the water, patrolling their tiny kingdoms with calm aplomb.  Slaty Skimmers flew one above the other, turning and turning till one sped off and the other followed.  Widow Skimmers spun into the sky like runaway pinwheels.  Clinging to the lower stems and grasses, a single Bluet hung out and paired Swamp Spreadwings and Violet Dancers completed their couplings.  Finally, into the mix came the yoked Black Saddlebags flying clumsily as if tipsy, he dipping and she refusing to deposit her eggs, others in hot pursuit.



At noon, here, imagine this: rush-hour traffic in a big city, to the sound of fish-slapping water, flicking wings, and birdsong.  Always, let there be birdsong.