It’s so hard to believe that it’s barely been any time at all since my first post to you! I guess I’ve just been so busy with making sure I’m all packed and ready that time just flew by faster than a fireball at a championship match. But today I wanted to focus on what’s right under our noses. You know… the things that we often take for granted and don’t realise just how awe-inspiring they really are? Now I know what you’re thinking. Everything outside your window is well known and understood. So very ho-hum, boring, whatever. That nothing new and exciting could ever be found in your back garden. But you’d be so very wrong! Sometimes you just have to stop and take a moment longer to really look to see what’s right beneath your nose.
So if you ever find yourself in my backyard– you know… when you’re up visiting Scotland next– you should find yourself an out of the way patch of heather, take a moment, watch, and listen. Now, if you’re sure to be very quiet in your watching (And oh! Bring some fresh honeycomb… that always gets the really shy ones to come out!), you might be lucky enough to lure an elusive Dealaphora nymph out from beneath the purple petals of their favorite flowers. Tiny and shy the Dealaphora nymphs are thought to bring good luck to those who attract them. But be careful in trying to capture them because some say that the smaller of the fae like to keep them as pets. I don’t know about you, but the wee folk can get mighty mad if you interfere with what is theirs. I know I wouldn’t want to risk it! But oh… where was I? Yes… the Dealaphora! Tiny in size, they are colored in splashes of purple and green, have feathered antennae like moths, and their delicate iridescent wings might remind you a bit of a dragonfly. On warm summer days mundanes often mistake their soft humming for that of bees as they hide beneath the budding heather and dart from bush to bush across the highland moors. While there are no know uses for them, they’re one of those hidden gems that I love to see when I’m out walking. Hopefully one day you too can enjoy their simple beauty.
Today I take to the country lanes and forested paths of Europe in search of the magical and mundane and while I’m traveling I want to hear from all of you about the fascinating creatures that inhabit your gardens. Just drop me a line at TheRovingCryptid and who knows?! I might showcase the interesting critters you introduce me to in a later article!
Until next time,
Elsie
