In the Morning...

It's hard to choose what to write about when there are so many exciting things to see as nature is bursting into spring. This morning I took an early morning walk while the dew was still sparkling like diamonds on the grass and the sun was just starting to creep over the tree tops. The birds sang whole heartedly as they welcomed the morning. According to the Cornell lab of Ornithology, "The dawn chorus is one the most conspicuous vocal behaviors of birds, and one of the least understood." I'm not a scientist, but I'd like to think that the birds are praising God, just as we should every morning.

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee, and will look up." Psalm 5:3

On my walk, I followed the shallow creek up to the pond. The sun hadn't quite reached the dark, green waters and everything was still and calm. I sat down for a bit and enjoyed the peacefulness. A couple of turtles surfaced then dove back down, which is one of the reasons I've nicknamed the pond, "Turtle pond." Every time I visit it, I see turtles. Then I let my eyes wander along the far bank and noticed that the trees of the surrounding forest were finally turning a delicate, light green. Letting my eyes roam a little closer to where I was sitting, I was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful spider web sparkling in the sun's rays.

After just a few minutes, a Great Blue Heron flew overhead and disappeared into the distance. I remained still...observing...listening... Not too long after, I could hear geese honking from somewhere and it was getting progressively louder. I scanned the sky for a glimpse of the geese and finally I saw a pair of Canadian Geese appear over the tree tops. At first it looked like they were going to bypass the pond. Then, they made a sharp, abrupt turn and started their descent. With loud squawking and honking the first goose made a splash landing followed closely by its mate, who was also making a terrible racket. Once they had landed, they dipped their heads into the water several times as though to refresh themselves... drank a bit of the water... then slowly and quietly, they drifted farther on the pond.

With a honk and a splash, the first goose landed

This second one was sure loud as it splashed to a stop (I love its expression) :)

Since Canadian Geese mate for life and come back to favorite nesting spots, I believe this is the same pair that come to this pond every year. It's always just the two of them and it's quite possible they have or will be building a nest somewhere around the pond. Usually the female selects the nest site, builds the nest with grasses, lines it with her own feathers, and then lays 4-7 eggs, which she will then incubate for up to 30 days. The job of the male goose is to protect the mother while she sits on her nest. At least they have found a quiet and peaceful place to raise their young.

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

 ~ Lou Holtz