Evening Meditations......
I love my pond. Actually I am very fond of the whole 5 acres, but in the evening the pond is best. This evening I was there just as the sun was setting and I took a seat on the deck in an old torn up collapsible chair, you know, the kind you buy for $7 and carry in a bag to the beach. The sun was down but it was still light. The beasts of my yard came and hung out on the deck with me. The big lab/pit bull mix was lying at my feet, the beagle was snuffling around down by the water but then came up to lay on the deck too. The big (formerly) male cat was crouched on one side of the deck peering over the edge down into the plants like a leopard waiting for something to walk beneath his tree, the small (formerly) female was doing the same thing on the other side of the deck before she went down to crouch at the side of the water and wait for a frog or something to get close.
Speaking of frogs, they were starting to sing. The tree frogs high chirp, the leopard frogs call and occasionally the bass bellow of a bull frog. The cicadas, katydids, and crickets were all joining in the evening chorus too. Other than this it was quiet. So quiet that when the flocks of cattle egrets heading for their roosting spots flew over I could hear the susurrations of the wind through their wings. (Interestingly enough, they are ALWAYS flying from the southwest to the northeast at this time of day)
The whole time I sat there only two cars drove by, more than usual for that time of the day.
A couple of the bats that live in the oaks across the pond came out and began to do an air show over the pond. Air show of death for the flying insects but cool for me to watch. Did you know that bats will swoop right down and take bugs off the surface of the water? I’ve seen it. Eventually the mosquitoes started to come out and I decided it was time to go. It was for evenings like this that I bought that land. (Well, that and the several 150-200 year old oak trees on the property.) But sitting there is a balm on my soul. It is hard to stay hostile to the world in a setting like that.
Speaking of frogs, they were starting to sing. The tree frogs high chirp, the leopard frogs call and occasionally the bass bellow of a bull frog. The cicadas, katydids, and crickets were all joining in the evening chorus too. Other than this it was quiet. So quiet that when the flocks of cattle egrets heading for their roosting spots flew over I could hear the susurrations of the wind through their wings. (Interestingly enough, they are ALWAYS flying from the southwest to the northeast at this time of day)
The whole time I sat there only two cars drove by, more than usual for that time of the day.
A couple of the bats that live in the oaks across the pond came out and began to do an air show over the pond. Air show of death for the flying insects but cool for me to watch. Did you know that bats will swoop right down and take bugs off the surface of the water? I’ve seen it. Eventually the mosquitoes started to come out and I decided it was time to go. It was for evenings like this that I bought that land. (Well, that and the several 150-200 year old oak trees on the property.) But sitting there is a balm on my soul. It is hard to stay hostile to the world in a setting like that.
posted by exMI | 18:21
7 Comments:
exmi
I really loved this post. You describe my home. It was the feeling I used to have when my grandfather was still alive, and we would sit out by his pond in the evenings watching the fish break the water.I miss that.
Wow Exmi. that's one of my goals. Someday, own some land in the middle of nowhere and do what I was meant to do, just write.
"Still in peaceful dreams I see the road leads back to you.
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind."
It may not be one of the routinely touted beautiful areas of the world, but there's still something rejuvenating about it.
Thanks for the post.
:) Your pond sounds beautiful. Out of curiousity, what does a katydid look like?
Katydids are large green grasshoppers. Numerous pictures came be found of different varieties by Googleing.
I'm not friendly with frogs anymore. In high school, my best friends mom forced us to fetch all the frogs out of their pool b/c she was having company over and the little boogers kept jumping in for a swim.
Well look at that, a new commenter. Welcome Linny.
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