Ah yes,
summer! Those glorious, golden, bright sunny days of happiness and freedom that
are built for looking back on. It’s also one of the four best seasons of the
year for Mother Nature to reveal some of her best surprises!
Did I
tell you about this? We were out in the country, earlier this summer, for a
visit with Auntie. It was lovely. The plant life was green and luscious, the
flowers were in full, scented bloom and birds of every description populated
pond, branch and bird feeder in every direction.
One
evening after dinner, as the warm air grew cooler and the shadows just a little
longer, we got in the car and headed for the nearby peaceful little town for an
engagement. Not far from Auntie’s house is a pond. It’s one of those wonderful
deep-country ponds that’s been, mercifully, been left to its own devices for
who knows how long. One of Mother Nature’s precious hiding places where she’s
allowed to run her course uninterrupted and unspoiled. The water was deep and
still, and the banks on either side grew heavy with reeds brush and trees,
green and fresh. Here and there algae covered hummocks lumped out of the water,
and, stretching the width of the pond was a large, sturdy beaver dam, the
culmination of generations. Auntie says sometimes you can see the beaver here,
but every time I’ve driven past, it’s been quiet.
Nevertheless,
as we rolled by this night, I simply had to crane my neck for a peek, just in
case. Why not? With or without any animals,
it’s a beautiful spot.
“Whoa!”
I cried, flattening my palms against the window and peering out, “Wow! Look!
Look!”
“What
is it?” everyone asked all at once.
Past
the trees and brush, I could see that big, old dam stretching the expanse, and
standing right on top of it, standing stock still and staring directly at me,
was a beautiful, impressive White-Tailed Deer. Auntie was kind enough to back
up so I could get a better view. I certainly expected that animal to flee into
the woods, but he didn’t. He just stood there. The occasional ear-twitch was
the only evidence I had that I wasn’t looking at a painting. I pulled out my
camera and carefully took a few pictures.
And
still the animal stood motionless.
I would
have happily stood there all night looking at this beautiful scene, but there
was still that evening engagement that awaited us.
And so
we drove quietly away from that little pond and that beautiful sight, leaving
the deer still standing the dam in the peaceful evening air.
Mother
Nature always knows just what to tell us.
Comments