Hummingbirds occasionally need rescuing when they fly into our garage in Shingletown, California and beat against the windows, unable to find their way back outside.

One day I heard the sound again and looked for a little bird. Instead it was a huge, shiny blue dragonfly. As I tried to open the window, in his fright over my hand being near he tangled himself in a large spider's web that had formed over the winter while we were snow birding in Arizona. Being unsure about his ability to bite or sting, I wrapped part of the web around a stick, pulled it loose with the beautiful bug inside and carried it out into the backyard.

I started to gently pull the web away from the dragonfly. As my hand came near he panicked again, beating his wings and struggling until he broke free. He was up in the air in a flash as I watched.

Suddenly, about ten feet or so up, he stopped, slowly turned himself around like a tiny helicopter and looked down at me for what seemed the longest time. I said, 'Good-bye! Be careful!' and he left. I tried to follow him with my eyes but he disappeared over the top of the garage.

Never again will a bug be just a bug to me. Who would think one would have the intelligence and emotion to feel grateful and say thank you.