When I stepped outside this morning I was struck by a wave of mosquitoes that crashed against me. Literally. I did what I had to do and hurried back inside, trying to leave as many as possible on the other side of the door. It doesn’t always work. I probably have a dozen or more perched on the ceiling, wall, or some inconspicuous place near me, just waiting to buzz past my head.

Vampires? Yes. But whoever wrote that rule in literary vampire lore that they need permission to enter a home must have never seen a mosquito. Ugh. They are bad enough during the day, but try to sleep with that buzz at the edge of your consciousness is less fun. A fan helps, but I can’t stand air blowing on me at night so instead I either hide completely under the blanket or I rig a sheet over me like a mosquito net.

I love dragonflies. This might seem like a change of subject, but dragonflies are the good guys. They are predators. They eat mosquitoes or mosquito larvae. Yesterday morning I found a dragonfly on the steps. Last week the kids found what I believe is a dragonfly larva in the creek. I’ll encourage them. Give me more dragonflies! I’d like fewer mosquitoes.