This morning when I woke up and looked out my window this is what I saw. The pond behind the house was all lit up with golden reflections and at the same time covered in places with fallen leaves. It was so beautiful the first thing I did after seeing it was grab my camera and make some photos.
Morning Splendor
The little pond behind our house endlessly delights me. Every day it looks a little different and sometimes every hour of the day. Early morning and late afternoon (or evening during the summer) are my favorite times of day to view it. The angle of the light early and late in the day lets more golden colors appear. Some days the pond appears dull and scum-covered. Then a little wind can stir it up and create a spiral pattern of scum and clear water on its surface.
Each day brings something beautiful to remark on or notice, even if it’s only a reflection or a turtle on a log. We have seen egrets, great blue herons, owls, pileated woodpeckers, hawks, hooded mergansers, wood ducks, mallards, geese, painted turtles, frogs, deer, fox, raccoons and more in or near this little pond. It’s a beautiful little petri dish filled with and supporting all kinds of life.
“With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.”
―
This year there have been fewer ducks on the pond and I have no idea why though I suspect it has something to do with the weather. We had a late spring and the weather turned from snowy to hot almost overnight last spring. We’ve also had more rain than usual this year, especially this fall. Often we see lots of wood ducks in the fall along with mallards. This fall I’ve seen a single mallard swimming around for one day only. I miss seeing all the ducks and wonder where they are.
Weather Woes
Current weather patterns here and across the nation are making me take climate change more seriously all the time. I was never a doubter but it was easy to put off making changes or to think that any little thing that I do will not make much difference. We cannot afford such thinking. Now I try to find little ways to contribute less to global warming and to engage in activities that decrease my carbon footprint however I can. It seems sometimes as if the little things I do are hardly a drop in the bucket. But we each must do what we can. Small actions taken by many people add up. Advocating for policy changes and voting for candidates who promise to take climate change seriously and to work with our global neighbors to make large-scale changes can make even more of a difference. Please do not be overwhelmed with the scope of the problem or try to deny it hoping it will all go away. Climate change is here and unless we make significant changes it will cause massive human suffering, species extinction, and devastation.
The earth will survive no matter what humans do but countless species (including humans) may not survive. My concern is not for myself but for my children and grandchildren. What kind of world will they face? My hope is that we wake up and begin making individual, community, national, and global efforts to mitigate climate change in time to make a positive difference.
On a lighter note, a single day can mean a lot of change this time of year. Here is the maple tree we can see from our living room window on Saturday:
And here it is as it looked Sunday morning with the first snow of the season:
What a difference a day can make. Luckily the snow lasted a 2-3 hours and then melted quickly. I am not quite ready for winter yet. (Actually I’m never ready for winter but it arrives nonetheless.)
May you walk in beauty.
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