Usually I write about the awful things going on with animals around our planet, but today, I'd like to write about something pleasant instead.
Like millions of other Americans, we lost our home to foreclosure awhile back. But, we ended up renting the most amazing little house. The back yard looks out over some salt marshes and the view is breathtaking and ever-changing. The stark contrast between the almost neon greens of the new grasses with the browns of the old all around the tidal lakes constantly changes colors with the sun's reflection.
I love to sit in the screen room and just stare out at the marsh. Yesterday the marsh offered up a scene that actually defies real description, but I'm going to try.
In the yard itself, we have both bird feeders and squirrel feeders. As is always the case, the cardinals, blue Jays, mourning doves and little sparrows were doing their graceful swoops between the feeder and the bird bath. They took turns eating and drinking and bathing, calling out to each other as they did it. The squirrels ran up and down the trees, acting out games of tag with each other, chattering away in gleeful play.
There is always a clear distinction between the yard birds and the sea birds and they never seem to cross that invisible line that matches the bulkhead. Out in the marsh there are always herons and egrets, especially at low tide when the fiddler crabs scurry around, offering up a tasty treat for the birds. We will have the occasional hawk or vulture that will fly into the tree branches in the yard, but they don't stay for long.
Yesterday, I was treated to something very special. I watched as a bird floated along the top of the marsh grass and actually landed on a tree stump that sits on the bulkhead. It was a baby heron. His long body and graceful neck belied his youth, but I could tell from his size and coloring that this was a juvenile. He stretched his long neck to look at me, and we sat and just looked at each other for awhile. He stayed for what seemed like a very long time before taking flight back across the marshes, perhaps to find a little snack.
Not long after that I noticed something brown moving across a strip of marsh grass. To my surprise, it was a raccoon. He moved at a leisurely pace, stopping to grab a tidbit of something to eat as he made his way busily from one side of the marsh to the other. I could tell he was still there from the hump of his back sticking up above the tips of the grass or if he raised his head to look around. As he was doing this, a flock of gorgeous yellow butterflies were flitting all over that same area of marsh grass. They would flutter and then dance with each other. They'd stop and rest on the delicate blades of marsh grass and then fly off again, twirling and spinning in mid air as if doing their own secret waltz. Just as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone.
The tide was coming in and in one of the deeper lakes that the tide makes in the marshes, a fish broke the surface to catch a bug that was skimming across the top. The ripples seemed to go on forever, expanding wider and wider until there was no more water to cover. In a smaller strip of water where the tides are carving out a new marsh lake, little bubbles popped on the surface all along the edges of the grass. Was it tiny shrimp? Small little fish scurrying in and out of the grass? I'll never know, but they were fascinating to watch and try to predict where they'd be next.
My day was made complete when a hummingbird flew right up to the screen in front of me. We had bought a new feeder, but it hadn't been hung yet. It was sitting on a small table in front of that screen, so I guess the bird spotted the red color through the screen. He hovered there for the longest time, as if trying to figure out how to get inside to the red treasure he'd seen. Finally, he left, stopping at some of the pink lilies that have begun to burst open by the fence as he made his flight out of the yard.
All of this beauty reminded me that there is so much life out there, if we only take a few minutes to actually see it. Each of these wonderful creatures has their own purpose on this earth, and when left alone to do what nature intended for them, it's a wondrous and very blessed thing to be allowed to see it all.
Life is so busy these days, but try every now and then to find just a small spot to stop, breathe in deeply and truly see all of the life around you. You'll be very glad you did. It's truly good for the soul and you'll realize what's really important in this life; not things or possessions, but the real beauty that lies inside the pages of nature.
Bless all the hearts who love the animals.
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