~Dedicated to my Uncle J.C.~

There are earthangels
along the river banks and swamps in South Carolina.
They are plentiful and lovely here,
free, unbothered in certain places.
These earthangels are the Odonata Dragonfly,
very common to our muddy landshores,
but we have many kinds. Damselflies too.

Dragonflies remind me of my Grandma sitting
on the porch, swinging, shelling beans or peas...
She said dragonflies eat mosquitoes, so not
to kill them...
To her they were little angels that brought
good luck, good dreams at night...
Anywhere dragonflies hover about means
that place is blessed she said.

Well, we sure were blessed,
because they were everywhere around us!
The Pee Dee and the Santee Rivers are my
favorite dragonfly rivers.
Their muddy banks full of shadows and secrets are
old homes to these heavenly, old, old souls.

I often think the dragonfly first winged its way
upward in South Carolina right near where I was born!
In fact, perhaps near Mullins...

One of my favorite places to eat in my childhood
is near Mullins, South Carolina,
behind the....well, it's the American Legion today.
There's a kind of stopping place there behind the Legion
where the river is just lovely.
You can pull over and park.
This is where my Uncle JC used to stop for us
to eat our biscuits and chicken ...drink our Dr. Peppers.
(Grandma always sent us lunches.)
This place is a haven for dragonflies...
We called it "Earthangels."
J.C. would say, "Wanna stop at Earthangels?"
Never got a single mosquito bite there,
just shimmerings.

Earthangels is still here I'm happy to share.
This summer my son and I were driving to Sumter
on Highway #76, going toward Nichols and Marion.
We stopped in Mullins at the river...
The same trees are there that were there
when I was a child...huge live oaks.
I tried to tell him about Earthangels,
but I didn't get it out right.
~Was too busy absorbing this place is still real.~
Did I see any dragonflies? Sure did...
This is a special special magnificent old place,
a spiritual place. I'm glad it's still there,
am glad I'm still here too.

If you're ever traveling our way,
taking any of the back roads, stop there...
Earthangels will give you a shimmering.
There is no shimmering anywhere like
the shimmering in this place.
If you don't get to Earthangels, pause the
next time you see a dragonfly,
remember what it is.

And if you're one of those few selected
Dragonflies honor by hovering about,
email me...I want to know you!

Au revoir...

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