Flight of the Dragons!

I just recently did a post on dragonflies because I think they are so beautiful. They almost seem to have some magical quality about them that draws me to them. I love watching them flit about the garden, but today was quite different. I observed something that I had never before seen..a mass migration of thousands upon thousands of the tiny beings. I was on the pier early this morning, just enjoying the peace that can be found on the water. It was calm with no breeze and almost too muggy to be lingering there. It was then that I noticed what appeared to be a dark cloud moving just above the water. At first, I believed that it was a swarm of bees that was relocating but I had never known bees to fly entirely across the Bay. It did not take long before this cloud reached the pier and dragonflies engulfed me. It was amazing that even with the thousands that were zipping by me, not once did I get hit. They would dive and swerve at the last minute missing me entirely. I sat there in the midst of this phenomena of nature completely enthralled for over an hour. This flight began somewhere south of my place and ended who knows where to the north of here. Only a few stopped near the little ponds only to continue their journey after a short rest. Where they were going, I have no idea. Why they were migrating, one can only guess. I did notice that every one of them that I could see clearly seemed to be a golden yellow. The picture is of one that was resting by the pond and shows the golden color. What a gorgeous creature! I am not sure they were all of this color but many were. There is a theory that most of these migrations follow a cold spell and the dragons all head south for a warmer climate. This was contradictory as they were headed north and there is surely no cold spell here..geez..it is late July in Mississippi! It was intriguing though to watch and ponder.

This afternoon was spent in the kitchen making tomato sauce again. My sweet sister-in-law brought me some very beautiful tomatoes yesterday! As I mentioned before, all of the ones from the garden are cherry tomatoes so it was exciting to see some nice large tomatoes for a change. I made sauce out of half of them adding bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. This made up into eight more jars. My son was helping cap the jars when one slipped and scalded his arm from the wrist to the elbow. After plunging it in the sink of ice water left from skinning the tomatoes, we doctored it and finished canning the sauce. Then had a really big mess to clean! Tomorrow, with the rest of the batch I will make salsa. I acquired three dozen more new jars from my brother so I really must fill them!

We also worked refurbishing the old cast iron stove that was given to me by my uncle. (Oh yes! This same uncle has a birthday today! Happy 96th birthday, Uncle Alfred! I love you!) It was in beautiful shape when he gave it to me but then salt water ate into the iron..compliments of Katrina. (It has been on a "to do" list since the storm.) It needed two new legs, one repaired leg, a new grating and a new hot plate. Some of those items were accomplished today! It also needs to be buffed and painted. It will be a time-consuming job but in the end will be well worth the effort. I love this old iron stove! Hopefully, it will be back in place and proudly burning during the first cold spell of the winter! I look forward to sitting next to it with a cup of cocoa..I really must get a rocking chair!