Thursday, June 17, 2010

From The Deck

It's the stillness I noticed first. But it's not quiet. If you listen, there is sound all around. But certainly not the sounds that I am used to hearing.

The breeze stirs the leaves and it sounds like somebody is whispering to you. You hear the voice but can't make out the words.

Somewhere a bird is proclaiming it's right to ownership of it's piece of land. Nature's No Trespassing sign.

Somewhere over on the road a car passes. A loud whisper that is here. Then gone.




Wildlife abounds here. The house sits on a cleared knoll that was once part of an apple orchard. Bordered on one side by 35 year old apple trees. Way beyond their productive years and abandoned to time and nature. They are now gone thick with unpruned foliage and branches gone crazy. The perfect haven for critters of all kinds.

Birds think that they have found their own piece of paradise here on Earth. Orioles, Robins, Cardinals, Finches and even the common Sparrow flit and call among the branches.

Piercing the silence, I hear a bleet. A sound totally unfamiliar to me. I look and see a solitary fawn, ripe with white dots, making its' way along the tree line. Disturbed from its' mothers' chosen hiding spot by some unknown danger. Now frantically calling for help as it searches for its' lost mother. My heart is breaking at its' dismay as I watch it disappear into the long grass of a bordering field.

Rabbits appear on the freshly mown lawn. Playing a madcap version of leap frog. Hopping, attacking and leaping over each other. Tired of the game, one takes flight and the other follows in hot pursuit. They too disappear into the long grass.




On the deck, I sit a mere three feet from a feeder. Like jet fighters approaching, I hear the incoming hummingbirds. They look at me with disdain as they hover, trying to decide whether or not to land. Using whatever thought process it is that they have, they finally decide that feeding is more tempting than I am dangerous. They poke their long beaks in and out of the plastic flowers, gorging themselves on fake nectar. Satiated, they once again take to the sky.




All of these things seem so strange and yet so familiar to me. Long forgotten memories of days in the country stir and awaken.

I am grateful for this experience.

13 comments:

Island Nana said...

I'm glad you are staying in such a peaceful and evocative place, Wayne.

Jane said...

Spring is the best time to be alive. Enjoy ... the best things in life are still free.

Life's a Beach! said...

It's so much fun to visit the place where you grew up. I'm going to do just that at the end of July and stay a few days. Very nice post Wayne!

Theresa in Mèrida said...

I was complaining about how some people just toss photos in their blogs instead of writing. I should point this post out as a good example of how photos work well in a blog! Seriously, you do this so well,I can only hope to someday get as good as you.
regards,
Theresa

norm said...

Summer in the country is sweet.

Anonymous said...

I hate to say it but maybe it is time to come home. Mexico is a great place to VISIT!! I lived in the riviera maya between 1999-2001 and noticed the decline in just 2 short years. I miss the white sand beaches and the bright blue water but not the third world poverty. Bars remind me of living in a jail. A medium size dog is your best bet if you remain there.

Anonymous said...

holy smokes, POET! Loved that. xoxo

Ann said...

Beautifully written, Wayne!

Sam and Bob said...

Michigan is a beautiful place even though the economy and work environment are not.

Arizona Kelly said...

Wow. That was incredibly, beautifully written my friend. I felt like I was sitting there next to you on the deck.

Although I know this trip wasn't for the best of reasons, it sounds as if your soul needed to be off the island and to be exactly where you are NOB.

...now get up and go make sure that fawn found its momma. :)

Anonymous said...

Have you been drinking again??

Linda Dorton said...

Great descriptive piece. I can almost place myself there, as I have spent plenty of time in rural Michigan. I occasionally reflect on many days we just drove and drove throughout the countryside, enjoying its tranquility, many shades of summer green, the lakes, the parks,the birds and later in the summer, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Maybe you should stay up there half time, the pretty half....and just come down here for winters? Maybe find a nice LOCAL couple to caretake your place - rented out - who can make sure your stuff remains your stuff. All I know is you sound at peace in this blog. I know you are going through difficult times. Life changes when a loved one has cancer. Cancer patients are often incredibly inspirational with their acceptance, and wonderfully optimistic. I know I felt like I was the big crybaby with my husband's illness.

I am just glad that you have such natural beauty around you to offer you comfort and peace during trying times. And I send my best wishes for a successful treatment or your brother.

Steve Cotton said...

And may you dind that peace at the center.