One of the Arboretum's Fancy Bugs

The thing about the dragonflies is that they are not usually out in the morning when I am there. To see the dragons, you must visit the Arboretum's lily pond in the heat of the day.

I am not a big fan of very hot temperatures. In fact, I start to wilt at temperatures over 80 degrees. So the 90s that we've been having around here lately have been a struggle. I go out in the morning, but tend to stay in during the middle of the day. It's simple self-preservation.

At home, we've had the air conditioners running pretty much 24/7. It keeps the house at a reasonable temperature, but it feels like we're merely keeping even, not winning. The brand new air conditioner, we put in the master bedroom, and we've turned that area into a sort of cold zone.

My one grandmother, Grammy Carvell, was like me. She liked her air conditioning COLD. When you walked into her house, it was freezing. My parents didn't like it much, but we kids enjoyed playing in the cool. So I call our master bedroom, our super-cooled room, the Grammy Carvell room. As long as I live, she lives too!

Anyway, I decided on this day to brave the heat so I could go and see the fancy bugs. I'd spotted their shells, or exuviae, last week, so I knew they were changing. Changing from the water-dwelling aquatic beings that dragonflies begin as, and turning into the amazing flying bugs of summer.

And of course I was treated to the sight of several dragonflies and damselflies flitting about the lily pond around mid-day. There were also large groups of school children, all dressed in yellow shirts, crowded around the lily pond. Then suddenly they were gone, and it was just me and the heat and the fancy bugs.

My strategy for photographing dragons is simple: watch for where you see one, and then stalk that spot, and wait, as dragons are likely to return to the same favored spot over and over. And so I got out my camera, assumed "the stance" (feet firmly planted wide apart, shoulders squared, camera directly in front, held firmly in both hands), and waited.

The shot I am always hoping for is a dragonfly actually SITTING on one of those gorgeous water lilies. But do they do that? Well, in truth, hardly ever! They fly a lot, they land occasionally, but almost never do they actually SIT on the lilies.

So I decided to put the dragons on lilies myself. This involves finding a fancy bug, locating a colorful water lily near it, and then maneuvering myself until I've got the bug in front and the water lily in back, with the bug framed against the lily's color.

It's a tough shot to get, as the bugs keep coming and going, and when the wind blows, it moves them all over. It's also a personal test of stamina, attention, focus, and a firm, steady hand while the camera lens is super-zoomed out. (Yes, all of my photos are hand-held; I do not use a tripod.)

I stood there, the bugs kept flying, and it kept getting hotter. I tried to play Jedi mind tricks with myself. I willed my soul back to the Grammy Carvell room; tried to imagine the cool, tried to will my whole body there, as sweat trickled down between my . . . well, you get the picture.

In the end, I managed a number of successful shots, and this one was my favorite. The lacy wings of the creature are surely a marvel to behold. And behind the fancy bug, the yellow water lily lights up the scene like a lantern.

The soundtrack: the Rolling Stones, Shine a Light.