The Totem Returns

Today the dragonflies made their first appearance in the park. I would have missed them if I hadn't listened to the little voice that whispered 'go back the way you came'. So instead of taking the easy path back to the car, Puppy and I wandered the twisting, rocky path that follows the south shore of West Lake. And there they were; the red dragonflies. Over the past few years, I've come to think of the red and bronze dragonflies as the stalkers of the insect world. One will accompany me for a while as I walk the trail. Then it disappears, and is shortly replaced by another. I read today that dragonflies are very territorial. Sound like anyone you know ;)?

Prospect Park

Dragonfly is definitely my totem. My favorite of my three tattoos is a dragonfly.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Dragonflies can fly at speeds up to thirty miles per hour, yet they are very obliging about having their pictures taken. These were all taken with a small digital camera set to 'child', aka 'motion'.

My backyard

Dragonflies have been around for millions of years. There are legends that they were once real dragons; some people call them mosquito hawks because of their ability to catch flying insects.
So beautiful, such a fearsome predator. Delicate wings, crushing jaws. Welcome back.

Pond at Will's old house

Photos from Wen Pond

Chef & Loren built a new koi pond this spring. It's about 4 times the size of the old one. So, the big koi, seen in their aquatic jungle, took advantage of the space and spawned. Pretty much the same day they went into their new home.
See the tiny little koi - they are newly hatched and about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch long at this point. Hopefully at least some of them will live - some will be eaten by the other koi, and some will probably be eaten by the pond's newest resident.

I'm not sure if this is Mr. Frog or Mr. Toad - he's very aquatic, which would indicate frog, but has what seem to be large paratid glands, which indicates toad. According to some sources however, there's no real difference between the two, except for one small subgroup, which are considered true toads.

Remember that animated version of the Hobbit? Here's Mr. Frog/Toad doing his impression of Gollum:

Here is my favorite flying insect, the dragonfly. See the stripes - I've only noticed this wing design in the last year or so. This one spends a lot of time flying around the pond, perching on the cattails and rushes.I did actually do some work while I was house/kitchen-sitting. Here are tarts of the week - cherry almond with a hint of lemongrass, pink peppercorn and star anise, and not-your-grandma's rhubarb, with cinnamon, brown sugar, and a balsamic reduction.

Magic Chinese Massage

I liked the name: Dragonfly Massage. It goes with one of my tattoos. It's next to my favorite Chinese restaurant. I've had the number for a few weeks, and yesterday the pain in my hip was bad enough that I finally called for an appointment.

They speak very little English. It didn't matter. Sophie's gifted hands found all the trouble spots without any help from me. "Magic Chinese Massage" is mostly Shiatsu; it's very different from Swedish (what you are likely to have in a day spa). First - you keep your clothes on. Second - it's more pressure points, friction, stretching and rocking than long flowing strokes. It was exactly what I needed.

It was different from any massage experience I've ever had - no dim lighting, just the natural light from the windows, filtered by the rice papers screens. Some very creative use of paper towels. There was traditional Chinese music, but it melded with the sound of cars on the nearby highway. Instead of separate rooms, two tables are side by side in the main room. Another customer came in, had a short massage, and left. It didn't matter. It was just part of what was going on. And somehow, I was more focused and in my body than I remember ever being in a more secluded massage. It was worth every penny of the very reasonable price.

I made an appointment for the same time next week. Which happens to be my birthday. Happy Birthday to me :)