Did you know dragonflies migrate?

Neither did I.

Knew about millers migrating across the central part of our continent, following the summer's blossoms up into the high country. And, of course, everyone knows about migrating butterflies.

But dragonflies?

I always figured they grew up in a pond or river, and died there when winter came.

Apparently not.

Was enjoying a slow evening of check station about 15 miles from anywhere, except from the highway, when the wife came pulling up to deliver the papers and rescue the heelers from their boredom.

Cursing the crazy dragonflies as she pulled up. Having been dodging them on the highway most of the drive north.

Dragonflies?

Well, yeah, there'd been a bunch hanging around all day. Didn't pay much mind to 'em, except to notice they were quite large, maybe 8-10cm, and flying at about eye height. So she made me watch.

And she was right. It wasn't a few dragonflies hanging around. It was dozens and dozens of dragonflies flying by. All headed southeast. Coming out of the greasewood desert, heading up into the hills and onto the Divide.

Swarms of them.

Well, actually, no. No swarms. Just singles, pairs and triplets. Quietly buzzing nonstop to the south and east.

Tried getting pictures.

Ever tried getting a picture of a moving dragonfly? Not one that's hovering, but one that wants to get someplace?

Took 41 shots. And several video clips. Mostly, they were too fast for me, or for the autofocus on the digital.

A few were low, like they were coming down the paved county road. Tried chasing after them and catching them with my hands.

Wife tried getting video of me trying to catch dragonflies, so I quit that right quick.

When all else fails, turn to science and record some data. So we counted. Between us and the highway, where we had a light sky background, we counted 50 dragonflies passing by in exactly 60 seconds. Almost a dragonfly per second.

Figure the distance we were watching was roughly 50 meters. The Ferris Mountains, which were the largest barrier in the background, are roughly 25 miles distant. Or 40 kilometers, or 40,000 meters. If this migration was spanning the entire desert basin, that meant there were about 40,000 dragonflies passing between us and those mountains every minute.

Forty thousand.

Somebody, somewhere, is going to wake up to a whole shi;load of dragonflies in the morning.

Wife finally left after about an hour, just a little before sunset, which was buried by a thunderstorm. After she pulled out, I counted again. The dragonflies were thicker, in larger groups now. Four to six at a time, with no breaks.

A hundred went by in 35 seconds. Roughly 170 per minute.

All headed towards you.

Let me know when they show up, 'kay?