A couple of weeks ago I had an early morning visitor to the garden. Actually I believe he stayed over night until I found him in the morning.
He reminded me that gardening can have many pleasent surprises. Sometimes, things come your way unexpectedly.
It was still pretty chilly out, the sun wasn’t very high in the sky, so he was still resting on one of the potted Mums we are growing.
I knew he would be leaving as soon as he could so, I hurried in to the garden shed to grab my camera.
The visitor was a dragonfly covered with so many droplets of dew that he looked like he was encrusted with jewels.
I know I’m not the only person to be delighted by this sight. The American Society of Jewelry Historians has a brooch in their collection made of gold, platinum, demantoid, ruby and diamond. It was made by Emmanuel Gattle & Company way back in 1900. I’m sure the designer was inspired by a dragonfly he saw.
I imagine him being given an assignment by his boss to come up with an idea for a new piece of jewelry. He was probably unable to sleep all night and got up before breakfast to take a walk in the garden. He looked over and saw… well, we know the result of what he saw.
Recent international politics have been influenced by dew covered dragonflies and other insects.
Former US Secretary of State and Ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright owns at least seven dragonfly brooches that she has worn during diplomatic visits to foreign countries.
Here she is wearing a brooch in the shape of a bee during talks with Yasser Arafat…who knows where she wore the Dragonfly!
These unexpected sights in the garden can really get you thinking of things. I better stop this “stream of consciousness” right here.
Madeleine Albright’s book Read My Pins became available in book stores just last week.
Bob