In Which a Dragon Gets Its Wings

The morning light was perfect. No, it was beyond that. It was golden. As I approached the lily pond, the first thing I saw was a mockingbird taking a bath. It leaped down from the cement border into the water lilies, splashed around, looked delighted, jumped out, thought twice, and jumped back in again. As one does, in high summertime . . . oh the joy of cool water.

The water lilies were fabulous. They are never any lovelier than they are this time of year. Hot pink. Pale pink. White. Yellow. I lay down on the ground by the lily pond (yes, in a long dress!), and focused on two pink lilies in the sun. Perfection: oh, the beautiful golden light.

And then I spotted the first one. Atop the cement, there sat what looked like the remains of a monster. On second glance, I recognized it, and became very excited: it was the exuvia of a dragonfly!

A dragonfly begins its life as a water creature, a state that it may remain in for up to a year or more. Then, one blessed morning, it climbs up out of the water, its exoskeleton splits, and what emerges is a strange looking creature with four little lumps on its back.

The creature's body pumps liquid into the four lumps, and they become wings, which harden in the sun. And then the dragonfly takes flight! I have only ever witnessed the process in person one time, and it was an experience I will never forget.

I didn't understand what I was seeing at the time, but I was curious; entranced, actually. I took pictures, as I do, and then I did some research online: finally began to understand the miracle I'd witnessed. For those who have never seen it, here's a short video that shows the process. Amazing stuff!

Dragonflies are very, very old. In fact, they were among the first winged insects to evolve around 300 million years ago. That's a pretty ancient bug! Those who love dragonflies may also enjoy this piece: Smithsonian's 14 Fun Facts About Dragonflies.

Inspired by my discovery of the one shell, I began looking more closely all around the lily pond. Suddenly, I was seeing them everywhere, especially underneath the leaves and along the stems. A treasure trove of exuviae.

A whole parade of dragons had taken flight here! The Crittergators were likewise entertained; and one of them - a redshirt, of course - insisted on riding the exuvia, as though it were a horse! It was hysterical, and yes, I admit my tiny tribe does some really strange things, but it's all in fun.

I turned and examined this particular exuvia more carefully. The moment of transition didn't look to be a very comfortable one. What did the creature think as it was happening? The shell split. Did it feel a little bit . . . like it might be dying?

But then it was born to a new existence; to the next life. To the world of wings and blue skies and the miracle of flight! A life of wild and windy adventures it could never even have dreamed of as a water bug.

Will it be the same with us one day, I wonder? When the transformation comes, will it hurt? Will we grimace, and split our earthly shells? And then will we finally fly, as we were always meant to, and see the glories of the earth from the vantage of the skies?

The soundtrack: Queen, with The Miracle.