A Long Conversation

with a fellow who lives across from Day Lake wandered from talk of Mr. Cheston, Little Mountain, cattle, horses, celebrating seniors and their parents leaving garbage at Day Lake, the crew team, his grandchildren, our mutual love of the land, dragonflies and damselflies . . . and then this happened: the Great Blue Skimmer I had seen flying behind and above the gentleman's head floated down right between us and we both took long looks.

Do they come from something like caterpillars? he asked.

More like cicadas, I said.

Oh, he said, those are the shells I see right around the water.

Yup, I said.

Ain't they pretty?

I couldn't agree more.