Dragonflies and The Great Blue Heron (Encounters with Life Book 1)

Dragonflies and the Great Blue Heron

Dragonflies and the Great Blue Heron by James Osborne is a vibrant collection of stories inspired by real encounters and the quiet lessons hidden in everyday life. Blending fiction, non-fiction, and creative non-fiction, this first book in the Encounters In Life Series explores the humor, heart, and humanity found in ordinary moments.

Within these pages, readers will discover a rich mix of experiences—from rib-tickling misadventures and heartwarming reflections to tense, bone-chilling escapes that show how quickly life can change. Each story captures the connections we share with others and the small encounters that shape personal growth, resilience, and perspective. Osborne draws on years of interactions and lived experiences to craft relatable, entertaining tales that remind us that life’s greatest treasures are often found in the simplest moments.

Start reading today and experience the unforgettable encounters waiting inside Dragonflies and the Great Blue Heron.

Excerpt from the book

For more than a decade, Great Blue Herons had a special meaning for Judi and me. At the time, I had no idea our affection for these graceful birds would one day have a far deeper significance, both through unimaginable tragedy and by bringing immense joy.

Judi and I enjoyed watching the great birds from the deck of our summer cottage on Kootenay Lake in southern British Columbia, Canada. They would hunt for food less than two hundred feet away below our deck, drawn by schools of minnows to a small cove screened by willows.

We also watched the long-legged birds fish in a sheltered bay elsewhere on the lake where we frequently anchored our boat overnight. Blue herons became our mascot. Thus, it was fitting to celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary by commissioning a watercolor of a nesting pair of blue herons.

And then, as often happens, the years slipped by. Those thirty years edged toward thirty-five. Our prized painting hadn’t been framed. One day, I snuck the rolled-up watercolor out of our house and got it framed. On the night of our thirty-fifth anniversary, as we prepared to turn in for the night, there was the framed painting above our bed, where I had hung it minutes earlier.

Three years later, we lost Judi to cancer. At her memorial service, a dear friend and former colleague of Judi’s, Eva Friesen, led the service. In her remarks, she was determined to help Judi’s young grandchildren and other youngsters among the mourners grasp what was occurring.

Eva told this insightful story:

“Once upon a time, a happy group of tiny bugs was playing on the bottom of a lily pond. One by one, the bugs began climbing up a lily stem and disappearing. Those left behind wondered what had happened to their friends. Then they agreed the next bug to venture beyond the surface of the pond would return and tell the others what they’d experienced.

“One day, a bug left and found itself on a lily pad. It fell asleep. When it awoke, the warm sunshine had dried its body. Instinctively, it spread the wings that it had grown while asleep and began flying away. The bug had become a beautiful dragonfly with four iridescent wings. Then it remembered the promise. It swooped back toward the surface of the pond and headed downward.

“The dragonfly hit the surface and could go no farther. It was not able to return. After a while, it finally realized the others would just need to have faith that it was going to be all right.”

Before she left us, Judi insisted I make two promises: to continue our healthy lifestyle, and to find someone with whom to spend the rest of my life. The first would be a continuation of established practices, thanks largely to Judi. I struggled with the second. That promise was shelved for more than two years.