Two Bucks and Damsels

Another hot blue day over Hideaway Pond. Ragged white clouds ambled slowly south with a light breeze. Hardly a quiver on the surface of the pond, the airspace above which was abuzz with damselflies and their bloodthirsty cousins, dragon flies.

Both are members of the order odanata. Bet you were dying to know. Among their normal prey are mosquitoes, gnats, mites, mayflies, etc. Yum. An unwary odanata makes a quick snack for a bird, frog, lizard and their ilk. And their ilks’ ilks. Odanata have been around for three million years or so. That’s ancient, even in bug years. And they both begin life as an egg. Don’t we all. Hopefully, that’s where the similarity ends. Because from eggs, they become nymphs, evil voracious little beasts that live submerged and eat anything within in reach. Brutally. And remain in that form for as long as 5 years. They don’t pupate (pardon me). That is, make cocoons. They go straight from the nymph phase to becoming damsel flies or dragon flies, depending on their entomological persuasion. A wayward female damsel fly can make whoopee with a variety of mates before laying eggs. Sheesh. “Who’s your daddy?” And the process is beyond bizarre. Love aloft. Affair in the air? Never mind. I’ve included an x-rated illustration below. Please escort small children from the room. And don’t try this at home.

On a less bloodcurdling front, we were delighted by a visit from two beautiful six point bucks (one with eight point aspirations) during breakfast this morning. They suddenly appeared on a point opposite the island and grazed along the pond edge until they reached the porch. Following that, they trotted past the porch and loitered in the front yard before ambling up the driveway, across the road and into the woods beyond.

It’s been a busy day around the pond. The sun now sets behind Overlook Mountain as last night’s waxing moon, somewhat larger now, has returned. And night settles quietly on Hideaway Pond. Crickets.

•