smooth sailing for dragonflies

It`s late September. The irratic dance of the dragonflies I usually enjoy has turned to a relaxed, gentle sway above the ricefields...in tandem. Dragonfly mating season is a surefire sign that fall is here. Although the leaves are not yet betraying summer, the rice is turning a golden yellow, or more like a vibrant glowing colour that jumps out at your periferal vision.
The last few days I`ve taken to cycling by the riverside and the joys it has brought are plentiful. There are about five kilometres of trails, lined with parks the whole way. On the weekends people must congregate there, but daytime afternoons they are left all to me ;)
In only three days I`ve come across many beautiful blue herons and one white egret. I don`t think I`d ever seen a white one before. These birds are plentiful around ricefields and rivers. I love seeing one take off into flight, their long, gawky neck lurching forward as they push their wings mercilessly against gravity. Once in the air their elegance astounds, sailing silently above the river. Othertimes they are perched knee deep in the gushing water, poised and waiting patiently for dinner. If I were a bird, I might like to be an egret. They don`t seem to have a lot of predators, they are elegant and frogs probably taste pretty good.
There are a pair of hawks that own a couple of trees along the route as well. One was perched about eye-level in the tree that slopes down the path to the river. She took to flight as I passed and I felt like I could reach out in our proximity to embrace her. Of course, I would no longer have my nose or vision in one eye if that really happened. The other tends to sit atop the telephone pole... the town crier I suppose. The first day, I stopped to get a closer look and to look for fallen feathers. Before taking off, the one on the pole let me know this is his territory with a screech or two. Hunched over the grass looking for feathers, the ground suddenly and briefly washed over with shadow. It sent a chill down my back. Looking up, the hawk was soaring way up by the sun, surely keeping his gaze fixed on me. In Japan there have been reports of crows attacking people, but I don`t know about hawks. Thankfully a cute litte feather made itself visible down the slope and I shuffled down a ways to get it. It must be from his chest or under the tail. The brown spotted markings are undeniably hawk. It`s a treasure. I only wish I could bring him a mouse or a snake in exchange!
Speaking of which, I`ve also been blessed by the presence of one snake and one praying mantis. The snake appeared yesterday, snaking his way across the bike path. When he sensed me coming it was almost comical the way he sped up, shuffling his body back and forth so rigourously to make it to tall grass. I was in awe, braking to get a longer look as I passed him. His neck was stretched out, high above the pavement as he
struggled to move faster. His poor body jerked back and forth, not moving fast enough for his preference.
I love snakes. We saw one last week at To No Hetsuri (that entry coming soon) which was about 1 metre long and weaving his way through the stone effigies and coins left at a sacred spot. Despite our presence he was in no way trying to escape but rather slithered about at length in front of us, to the extent that we walked away first! Today one attempted to cross the road as I passed on my bike. He quickly realized that wasn`t cool and retreated on a dime. They are such magical creatures. The Japanese also believe that it`s good luck to see a snake. One has appeared in my dreams this week also.
Next time I`ll try to upload some photos from this beautiful riverside venture. I brought the camera, but was enjoying myself too much to remember to use it!
Peace and Love.