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THE JUNE BEETLE
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In 2007 Kathy and I drove to Colorado for her sister Lynn's wedding in Crested Butte. Afterwards we planned a four-day camping trip to explore Great Sand Dunes National Monument.
We arrived at Great Sand Dunes and were immediately enchanted with the monolithic dunes just on the other side of Medora Creek. We went out for a short hike and experienced an abrupt down pour. We got back to camp to find our tent floating on a three-inch deep pool of water. The thirsty ground quickly soaked up the water and we were astounded to find our sleeping bags and other tent contents dry.
The next day we decided to make our first foray up to the top of the sand dunes. The weather was sunny and hot so I knew I needed the protection of a broad-brimmed straw hat I had brought along. This hat was inexpensive but sentimental. A few years earlier, Phil Johnson met me in Iowa for a four-day canoe trip down the Mississippi River from Harpers Ferry to Guttenberg. Phil bought the hat for the trip and then left it behind for me.
With the hat placed firmly on my head, Kathy and I started climbing the loose sand of the steep dunes. We climbed about three-quarters of the way up and stopped to catch our breath. While standing there, something buzzed my ear and I thought it was a hummingbird. But Kathy pointed at my shoulder where I glanced down and saw the most gorgeous Ten-Lined June Beetle resting. It was quite large and had beautiful metallic green-gold and white stripes.
Right then, a gust of wind came from behind and blew the hat off my head. I saw the hat racing down the steep dune slope like a bike tire and I realized immediately that I needed it to protect me from a serious sunburn. I took off running downhill at a full sprint after the careening hat. I nearly caught it but it sped away from me. I could hear Kathy shout, "dive for it." I lunged forward and landed on top of it, trapping it under my chest as I came to a long, sliding, skidding stop. I had sand in my mouth, nose and behind my glasses, everywhere. I stood up and could see Kathy far above me and immediately began climbing uphill to get out of the solar collecting bowl I was in. I had to stop to rest a couple of times and do not remember ever being more winded as I was when I regained the crest where Kathy was waiting.
It was after I finally caught my breath that Kathy pointed at my shoulder. In exactly the same place was the seemingly undisturbed Ten-Lined June Beetle. The hat was wounded but the June beetle flew off to continue on its day.
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