Halloween Pennant, Home

With the hot weather now firmly in place and walking being more of a chore than a delight, I'm tempted, metaphorically, at least, to see the first appearances of the Halloween Pennant dragonflies as a sign that, well, cooler temperatures will soon prevail. Alas, not likely. The sighting of these exceptionally colorful odonates—the hues and patterns seemed to suggest to namers the appearance of that October holiday rather than the arrival of frosts—tells me that we're simply in July and for the next month, maybe more, I'll be greeted, every time I step out the door and walk past nearby fields, with diminutive pennants unfurled from the tops of grass heads and low shrubs. These are flags that can boost the spirits, however much the torrid temperatures are trying to undo this documentarian.