Green Carpets and Monkey Faces

  Without the daily rains, our weather has turned hot...really hot.  So hot that I nigh on wilted while pushing the lawnmower this morning.  (And to think, I have about four more days of that chore before this whole place is nice and tidy.)  It was the heat that made me quit working at 10am.  I needed water and coolness!  The water was easy to come by but that coolness just wasn't happening.  Nary a breath of wind was stirring the leaves and the shade only harbored hordes of mosquitoes.  So, once the sun started sinking a bit in the west, I headed to the pier in hopes at least there would be a cooling effect on the water.  Nope...sweltering there, as well.  But I did find green carpeting and a monkey face to keep me entertained.  If you have to be hot and sweaty, at least find something to keep the brain occupied.  That way, you have a tendency to forget for a few moments the discomfort that your body is enduring.  For those who complained about our daily rains...you are crazy!  Two days without the cooling showers sure made a difference.  Give me rain any day over the sweltering heat!

  The green carpet was nothing more than algae that had covered the surface of the mudflats.  Yes, I am easily amused and was fascinated by the whorls and ripples left by the receding waters.  The algae gave the mudflats a new look that almost resembled a piece of heavily brocaded fabric.  Well, maybe my imagination was being affected by the heat and humidity but I could see it!

  Then the monkey face appeared!  As I was lying prone on the pier examining the algae carpet, a dragonfly decided to examine me.  Just inches in front of me, the critter alit and stared at the crazy lady on the pier.  Well, there was nothing to do except take pictures. While I was staring at the dragonfly, I realized that it, indeed, did have a monkey face!  (Yep, the heat really must be frying the brain!)  

  Funny little Monkeyface and I continued our visit for some time before I figured that I had cooked enough.  I headed back up the pier.  The dragonfly decided that he and I were good buddies so he tagged along for a while before flying back to the marsh.  Nice little Monkeyface!

I am a hero!!!

It is not often that one has the opportunity to save a life!  This morning started out just as any other morning.  Ms. Ez and I took our trek to the pier to enjoy the sunrise and start the day with a bit of peaceful meditation.  I try to do this on a daily basis..meditate and enjoy the sunrise in the morning, then in the evening..meditate and enjoy a sunset.  This bit of therapy allows me to begin and end each day with a wonderful feeling.  On this morning, though, we found ourselves in a bit of drama.

Walking down the pier before daylight did not permit me to see a lot but after the sun rose, I noticed a friend struggling to survive.  The terrific storm of yesterday left a lovely Green Darner waterlogged and unable to fly.  The dragonfly was clinging to the pier board waiting for the sun to warm his body.  The healing would have taken place in just a few hours beneath the warm sunbeams but not all was going good for the dragonfly.  Just above us, a seagull had already spied the insect and would have made a quick meal of the helpless critter.  I could not let such a beautiful creature fall prey to the seagull.  Even though this was a matter of survival for both, I chose to help the Green Darner.

Reaching down, I gently lifted the insect from his perch on the pier.  At first, he tried to struggle and put up a show of defiance.  His body was weak and his defense show was soon depleted.  The poor critter just  gave up and let me carry him to the Little Bayou House.  Once inside, a thought hit me!  Just how am I supposed to revive an insect?  Hmmm?  I knew that he needed a warm, draft-free place to recuperate so the entryway fit the bill perfectly.  There is no air conditioning there making it quite warmish.  The bug was gently placed in a strange arrangement of dried grasses and lichens.  I had collected these over the summer and just poked them in a brass pot.  The dragonfly should feel right at home on the reeds.  Feel better, Little One. I will check on you in a bit.

Several times, I went out to find the dragonfly still sitting on the reed.  The third check saw him on the window but still weak.  I was so in hopes that he would revive!  After our morning coffee, Mark headed out to pay a few bills.  When he went out the door, he noticed my friend.  The dragonfly had warmed nicely and was flitting about the room!  Mark opened the door and the Green Darner appreciatively made a dash for it!  Out the door and into the garden went my friend!  I was elated!  I had saved a life!  The seagull would have to find its breakfast elsewhere!  I am a hero!!  I am a hero!!