Yesterday was Labor
Day…the unofficial end to summer.
As a kid, school
always started back after Labor Day; thus, the end of summer.
Glenn and I observed
the holiday by going down to the farm pond and taking a short swim in the’
still warm enough to take a dip’ water. In
addition, I floated, via an extra-large and fairly stable air mattress, to
catch the last of those summer UV rays.
We decided to spend the night in the pond
house which is equipped, very primitively, with a wood bunk and sleeping air mattress.
First, we made a fire in the free-standing fire ring on the deck to roast a few
hot dogs. Yummy! As the sky darkened
into night, the stars began to jump out one by one. Soon, the big dipper and the north star were
in full view as well as the millions of other stars that are unknown to me
formally by name. Star gazing is one thing
and constellation knowledge is another.
I am only a star gazer.
We roused a couple of
times during our sleep by the sound of nearby coyotes. We can hear the coyotes howling up at the
house, but down at the pond, they were extremely close to us. Now, we have a better idea of the location of
their nightly gatherings.
When I finally awoke
in the morning, I quietly crept out to sit on the dock and watch for birds. Initially, the fog was heavy and lifting
slowly. The early morning was beautiful and oh, so peaceful. Finally, I could see my surroundings. I first
noticed a doe scampering uphill away from the pond. I saw a kingfisher keeping watch over me from
the safety of its perch on a nearby electric line. A few bluebirds entered the picture and
landed on the fence. A group of about a
dozen American goldfinches lighted on some nearby weeds to feed on the seeds.
Then, I saw it
approaching…the Great Blue Heron. But,
this time, the heron was not silent as is the norm. I heard it barking as it approached the pond.
I realized one bark, then another bark,
and another. So, that is what the Great
Blue sounds like. I was astonished. I never knew. Quickly, the heron recognized
that either I or Snowball, who had been wandering along the shoreline, had
taken up at the pond and that there was no room left for him. The heron circled and slowly flew in the
opposite direction disappearing behind the tree tops.
A barking heron…who
knew?
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