I glimpsed the dark, flitting shapes through the window screen and left the house in wonder only to find myself standing in the middle of a dozen dragonflies with goggled eyes and iridescent wings converging on a single spot of our wild yard, swimming like tropical fish through the summer air. A productive day followed a less-than-stellar night sleep, but the chance to connect with a more spiritual path in the evening gave me a centered respite from the week.