I was “up north,” walking through the woods with an escort of dragonflies on either side, as if I were a visiting dignitary in need of protection.I love dragonflies. I love their variety and their shiny wings and the way they turn on a dime in midair. I love how they clear the path of mosquitos as I walk through the woods along the lakeshore. I love how they behave exactly as a good escort should.My husband, Peter, and I spent the early days of summer at my parents’ cabin, where everything magical I imagine about the north woods when I am in the city showed up in reality—as if by magic.I saw the first wild geraniums of the season. I saw a doe with three speckled fawns. I had never seen a deer with three fawns before and thought she might be running some sort of baby deer daycare, but apparently, all three were hers. I saw a juvenile bear by the side of the road. My mother thought it was a big black dog until it stood up—very much a bear—fur shining in the sun.It got so uncharacteristically hot that I jumped in the lake. I am a wimp when it comes to cold water, and the lake is deep. But the cabin is not air-conditioned, and one afternoon I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I jumped in the cold water and swam out to the point. Right in front of me, a curious loon popped up on cue, wondering who this awkward aquatic creature was.A huge storm rolled in and blew the hot weather away. The next afternoon, I walked to the public access with a dragonfly escort. I went to the end of the dock. The wind was blowing fiercely and there were whitecaps on the lake.That’s when I heard the music.“Someone is playing a pan flute recording,” I thought. I looked over at the nearby cabin. The music stopped. Then it started again. “Someone must be playing the pan flute!” I amended, listening to the music rise in volume.Then I heard it coming from the other direction.“What the heck?”I turned around and stared at the shore. It was obviously a flute, but now it was coming from both sides of the dock. It made no sense at all. For a moment, I wondered if I was hallucinating. There was music coming from the woods in ...
