All Creatures Great and Small - Worth Repeating

Friday afternoon I came home to find this really large dragonfly on the screen of our back door.  I took a bunch of pictures from where I stood, then got a bit more creative, getting a step stool....  changing the lens....  even changing the color of the background by hanging a sheet over the inside door (which I ended up not using)  But it was when I became really up close to it, that I saw was the insect was actually doing: it was taking it's right 'hand' and with swift motions, it repeatedly pushed up it's helmet-like head and rubbed what lie beneath it.  I was fascinated as I watched this occuring, and it seemed to not be deterred by my presence, remaining there for quite some time.  It reminded me of a similar expereince of many years ago which I'll share following a couple pictures of this dragonfly:

Many of you have been following my creative writing for a long time--way before blogs even existed--so this story might sound familiar, but it's worth repeating.  Many years ago, we had a pet African Tree Toad which was kept in a glass terrarium set up as a perfect habitat for it to thrive.  It was a cute little fellow; in fact, it's name was "Smiles".  Every week we'd go to the pet shop and quiver while we watched the lady stick her arm in a tankful of live crickets, grab a handful of them, and put the crickets into a plastic bag for us to bring home.  They'd hop and pop around the bag the whole way home, and we'd quiver again emptying them into the tank where Smiles lived.  While providing a challenging catch by the frog, they became it's food. 

One August evening, when the crickets outside chirped their loudest, I sat on the floor in front of Smiles' tank and looked in at the activity of the creatures inside.  With my face just inches away, I spotted one lone cricket with it's body leaning halfway into the little pool of water we provided for the animals.  Upon closer inspection, I watched with amazement, this cricket using it's 'hand' to very carefully, very slowly and very deliberately dipping it's 'hand' into the water, then grab one of it's antennae by the base, and with extreme care, slide it's 'hand' from the base to the tip of this antenna.  Over and over, it would dip it's 'hand' into the water and slide it along it's long antenna.  This cricket was grooming itself!  With it's purpose of living to be food for yet another creature (not that it knew any different) it took the time and care to groom itself.  Who would have thought that such a tiny creature would groom itself!  It goes to show you the value of each individual living thing and how instinctively we do what is important to our survival.  This photo is not of the pet-shop crickets, but one that was in our backyard recently, so you can see, up close, the thin, long antennae and appreciate the work it takes to keep them clean and functioning properly:

I also recall, just a few days after that incident that left me in awe, we were at a park for rescued zoo animals.  It was a scalding hot day, but we endured it.  We came upon the elephants in their very arid terrain of dried, tan dust.  I watched one elephant in particular, taking it's trunk and swiped the land with it in one huge sweeping motion, grabbing a trunkful of the dirt and by lifting it's trunk and releasing the dirt, it would shower all over it's immense body.  It did this repeatedly and I became as awestruck as that night with the cricket as I watched this elephant either cooling itself off or grooming itself under this dry shower.  The contrast between the two in physical size was astounding, but the message was no different to me.  All creatures great and small are equal and equally amazing to me. 

I do not have any photos of elephants on hand, but I do have a song in my head to share.  The  lyrics speak to me personally of all creatures, of all nature, and my strong spirituality that encompasses all I love and hold important.  It's an old Christian hymn, brought up-to-date by many contemporary Christian musicians, including David Crowler.  Feel free to seek out David Crowler's version of All Creatures Of Our God And King on http://www.youtube.com/ .  One version has the lyrics printed out which you'll see what I mean.  Another version has David and his band performing live.  [sidenote: Mr. Crowler reminds me vaguely of someone a few of you might find recognizable....]