wildlife

It was early morning, at least for me, and I did something that I am prone to do, except in this case I was standing, I looked out the kitchen window to see if any wildlife was present in the garden area. The only movement that caught my eye was a small brown form that was bobbing back and forth, yet staying in one spot on the ground. It didn’t really look like a color that would indicate a bird I was familiar with, and even though it was the color of a field rodent, it didn’t move like one of those.

After several minutes of speculation, the realization dawned on me that I was standing with the baited breath of wondrous expectation while staring intently at a curled-up dead leaf blowing in the wind. I was disappointed but also very amused by my actions – it is not unusual for me to laugh at myself on a regular basis. Even after the cleaning out the garden debris, the birds are still in evidence if I rise at the proper time. Of course, my rising is usually at the proper time because this happens shortly after my waking time and I would not want to rise before I awoke.

A few mornings later I was again at the window, admiring the form and actions of a small flock of 7 or 8 doves and several other smaller birds around the periphery of the garden. Doves are fairly regular visitors to my garden area, evidently for the grit and tiny stones from the bare ground – these are necessary for the bird’s gizzard to use in the grinding up of the seeds and harder material they consume. As I watched, several large shadows passed by – caused by a skein of geese flying into the neighbor’s pond. This body of water adjoins and feeds water into the one behind our house. There is plenty of avian wildlife in the area just for the observing.

Speaking of wildlife (smile), due to the process of selling their present house and buying another, YD and her whole family are staying with us for a couple of weeks. The legal closing of the sale for the house they are selling and the one they are buying are to be on the same day. It is quite the adventure for us old folks to have the little ones present and accounted for at all hours. YD and SSIL are in one of the basement bedrooms with GM3 and 4 in the other. GM6 and GM1 are in the two spare upstairs bedrooms.

When I stumbled on a word the other day, it dawned on me that this word describes the play efforts and interactions of the three young sons of YD. The word is scrabble; keep in mind that this is not the word game, but the word. It is a verb and one of its meanings is to scratch or dig frantically with the hands – this reminded me of these little guys searching for a toy in their large toy chest. The other meaning that is descriptive of them is: a disorderly struggle for possession of something – this is the three of them when they all want to play with the same toy.

It is an amazing thing to me to watch their personalities forming and starting to emerge. Maybe it is just because I am their grandpa, but these are some fine youngsters (smile). Of course they are “all boy” and can cause a smile one moment and exasperation the next, but growing fine upstanding, God-fearing men takes time. You can count on me keeping you posted. ec