I walked down to the lake tonight around sunset. As soon as I hit the trail I was surrounded by the intoxicating smells of wild Honey Suckle. It’s funny how certain smells can transport you back in time. I can remember being a girl of 8 or 9 and walking down the road with my grandmother near the wild Honey Suckle. She would snip a piece off and sip on it. I wasn’t as adventurous as grandma so I never ate any but the smell was permanently embedded in my mind. 30 years later a simple smell can trigger childhood memories on a spring night. And what a night, it was a beautiful May night with a warm breeze blowing through. I walked along the gravel trail to the long wooden bridge and decided I would head through the woods to the smaller part of the lake near the beaver damn. There’s a picnic table that sits along the edge of the lake and by this time of year it is overgrown with grass and shrubs but it offers a great seat for viewing and taking in all the beauty that is before you. The sun was starting to set and the sky was awash with orange and pink colors. I could hear the occasional frog start to call. He was quickly answered by a friend on the other side of the lake. In the distance I could see a Canada geese family. The mom in front, trailed by the three goslings with the dad taking up the rear. I wondered if they just had three babies or if some horrible act of nature took the others? There are many snapping turtles at this lake so I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them were overtaken. Of course I never go to the lake without my binoculars so I was able to zoom in on them as they made their way around the bend. As they swam out of sight, a young doe came into view. She was by herself and because I was so far away, she paid me no attention. She waded into the water up to her knees and ate some water plants. I am calling them water plants because I have no idea what they were. She ate for about 5 minutes and then quietly went back through the tall grass.
As I sat watching the beautiful sky, I thanked God. I thanked Him for all of our blessings and for seeing us through Ellie’s journey. I am overjoyed at times about what this new relationship with God means to me. I have that connection that I have always wanted. How incredible it is for me to go to the lake, to be surrounded by all this beautiful nature and to talk to God and have peace. I am so thankful. As I sat pondering life and how fortunate we are and how wonderful it feels to be back at home this spring and to be enjoying one of my favorite places on such a stellar night, two Green Herons flew overhead. They circled around right over my head and flew back the way they came, roosting on a high tree limb. I know God sent them for me to see. His way of telling me He was with me, sitting on the picnic table and continually standing beside me each and every day.
I watched another family of Canada Geese swim around. This family had 5 babies. I then saw the heads of 3 or 4 deer jumping through the brush. They were far away but made a lot of grunting as they ran. In the distance was a Great Blue Heron that was roosting high in a tree. He was calling his old man call to the other herons that were flying overhead. It didn’t look like his nest was in that tree but it was getting late and he too should have flown off with his friends for the night. Maybe he was lingering, enjoying the final light of the sun like me.
