Dragonflies came into our lives on a sunny day in August of 1990.

There must have been a hatching of dragonflies that day when we were canoeing on Lake Tillikum, for we found ourselves rowing into a part of the lake that suddenly filled with shiny red dragonflies. They began swarming all around us, mating in the air, and landing on our oars. We stopped in amazement as these friendly little beings gathered all around us. One landed on Anthony's nose and just stayed there!

What makes this time even more special is that we were just getting to know each other. One couldn't ask for a more Divinely choreographed romantic setting. We leisurely explored the lake with the cloud of dragonflies around us, and dove off of the side of the canoe for a swim in the warm water. Their friendly energy continued to surround us for the rest of our time on the lake.

When Anthony and I decided to marry a few years later, we were having a hard time deciding where to hold the ceremony. I was standing in our backyard one day, thinking about a good location, when a dragonfly came flying up to me and hovered right in front of my face for a few seconds. At that moment, I got the idea that it would be nice to get married at Lake Tillikum. I called the manager of Camp Tillikum, the 90 acre Quaker Camp where the lake is located, to see if it were possible to have a wedding there. He said that they did not allow that at the camp.

I couldn't help but express my disappointment and shared with him my story of our special day there. He asked how big the wedding would be and when I said that it was just going to be a small group of family members, he said that he would make an exception to the rule! We had a lovely sunrise wedding on a small dock that jutted out into the lake, right by where we canoed with the dragonflies.

A few years later when we looking for a house to buy on Orcas Island, our real estate agent took us to see a house she thought we would really like. It was June and all of the wild roses were in bloom. The long driveway leading down to this house was lined with roses whose heavenly aroma hung in the air as we explored the property. The roses seemed like a very good sign to us, for beginnings tend to be good indicators!

We could imagine ourselves there and started getting a little excited. As we walked outside around the back of the house, we discovered a concrete pad at the foot of a stairway, that had a stained glass dragonfly embedded in it! We looked at each other and knew this was the right place for us.

While living on our 3 acres, we discovered that the meadow was the home for hundreds of dragonflies. A small rise in the meadow became a favorite place to lie down and enjoy the dragonflies as they playfully flew around us.

A few years later we decided to create a big garden there and call it the Dragonfly Garden. Now there is a pond nearby and even more dragonflies dart around the meadow and visit the garden. Their arrival in Spring is an important occasion for us and we celebrate it each year. We acknowledge their role in the meadow/ garden food chain. They feed on mosquitoes and small insects, then they become food for the swallows who raise their young in the meadow.

Their delightful energy stays with us until the Fall, when the temperatures are cooler and there are fewer insects to eat.

Dragonfly notes:

Green Darner Dragonfly

In 1997, the common green darner dragonfly, Anax junius Drury, became Washington's official state insect after a group of students at Crestwood Elementary School in Kent brought the idea of a state insect to the Washington State Legislature. About 25,000 students from over 100 school districts statewide participated in the selection of the common green darner dragonfly.

Also known as the "mosquito hawk," this dragonfly can be found throughout Washington and is a beneficial contributor to the ecosystem because it consumes a large number of insect pests. It is easily recognizable by its bright green head and thorax, it has a 4- to 6-inch wingspan and can fly 25 to 35 mph.

There are over 400 different species of dragonflies. "Darner" is one family of dragonflies and the common green (Anax junius) was first sighted and recorded by a man named Drury in 1773.

Photo Credits:

Meadowhawk by Bruce Marlin www.cirrusimage.com

Blue Paddle-tailed Darner by Scott W Taylor www.new.scottwtaylor.com