Dragonflies

You can't see them in this picture.  No.  They fly so fast only a supersonic mini-cam could catch them in flight.  I am talking about dragonflies.  

In the evening they gather in the air on the north side of my porch.  The low light makes it easier for me to see them spotlighted by the setting sun.

They are just amazing.  They fly in formation...each tiny shape aligned exactly, near but not too close to its neighbor.  Holding a steady speed they zoom toward the west, wings a blur, then abruptly turn 180 degrees and fly, without hesitation or slowing their speed, to the east.  Back and forth.  Up and down.  I try to focus on just one dragonfly but it is hard.  First one way, then a climb up and over and down to again turn backwards and around.  It exhausts me just to imagine how they do it.  

A little research tells me  they have almost 360 degree vision with huge eyes mounted on tiny heads.  Their double wings are endlessly mobile, giving them the ability to change direction in a nanosecond.  

All in search of that thing which all living beings need.  Food.  And lots of it.  Gnats, mosquitoes, tiny pinpricks of bugs that are almost invisible to our eyes.  They fly and turn and climb and disappear, only to emerge again in some far off spot.  They fly down the hill toward the valley...and then come back.  Always following their next meal. They need  a lot of food to keep those engines running.

As I sit there, entranced by the flight of these super pilots, I think about how the smallest things in our world can be the most fascinating.  We oooh and ahhh at the ability of  gymnasts and dancers to turn themselves into impossible arcs and leaps of greatness.  We admire the skill of athletes who appear to walk on air.  But this little insect tops them all. 

The light is fading fast.  One or two still linger, flying back and forth seeking a final mouthful.  I scoot back my chair and head into the house.  But my mind is still full of the show I have seen.  A miracle.  A true gift. It makes me smile..