I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Mine was good. My husband has been working hard to replace the floor of our back deck. He worked on it most of the weekend. I managed to get him away from the house for a few hours Saturday night for a much deserved respite.
He’s wanted to go fishing for quite a while now. One of my relatives who just so happens to have a hidden pond on her property asked me to feed her dog while she was out of town. I asked her if Jim and I could go fishing while we were there, and she not only granted permission, but asked her husband to mow a path for us through their field.
This is no ordinary pond. It’s a magical place. Out in the country, it’s hidden by trees and bushes. After hiking through the huge field of wildflowers, I was surprised the path led us to the far side of the pond. However, everything became clear once we reached the bank. Water lilies claimed over half of the pond. There weren’t many places where we could we could safely access the water without getting our lines hung up in the plentiful plant life.
We were greeted by a giant bullfrog who let us know we were disturbing him right off. He finished his fit with a giant splash. Due to the tight opening, we decided that Jim would do all the fishing and I would read a book on my Kindle. I sat up the camp chair in the path just before the rise to the bank. Bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, dragonflies, and many other insects flew around me, daring me to concentrate on my book. I know, soaking up some fresh country air while lounging in a field of wildflowers is a tough job, but I took one for the team.
We hadn’t been there very long when Jim’s urgent whisper carried to me on the breeze. “Hey, come look!”
I climbed up on the bank to see what had him so excited. He was pointed wildly from behind a tree at a baby duck that had landed in the middle of the open water. The little fowl was quite content swimming around all by himself without a care in the world. He was adorable and added to our joy of the moment.
I was enchanted. He swam around eating bugs for a while before rising from the water like a phoenix from the flames and dove right in the middle of the massive cluster of lilies.
Surrounded by the sounds of nature, we were both in our happy place. Only one thing broke our tranquility. There was a dog in the woods somewhere that barked when Jim cast his line a little too far out. We never saw the pooch, which is probably a good thing. I may have wanted to give him a home, and he probably already had one. I have a tendency to want to mother every stray I see.
Jim caught a dozen or so fish – bass and sun perch. He released them all. We weren’t out there to catch food. Our purpose was to find serenity. Mission accomplished.
We packed up shortly before dusk as the lightning bugs were beginning their nightly dance. We were completely surrounded by their fairy light on the hike back to the house. They rose from the wildflowers like tiny stars rising in the sky. A more magical scene, I’ve never beheld.
Country life isn’t for everyone, but I miss it. One day, I hope to buy my own little slice of rustic paradise. Until then, I’ll be writing from the suburbs.
Thankfully, I know some kind folks who let me visit and refresh my zen every now and then.
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