Saturday morning

Thanks to each of you who sent birthday cards, greetings, presents, etc. I had a lovely quiet low-key birthday. Perfect.

Today is supposed to be 96 or 98 degrees and humid, so when I awoke at 5:15 a.m., I dragged myself out of bed and Jessie and I went to the park. We were rewarded by being the first non-local creatures out and about. Already I could feel the humidity building. The pond and the grassy meadow were foggy. It's beautiful to see. Again the Canada geese were missing; didn't see them in the field north of the pond. A few were on the shore of the pond, but not the entire group I've come to know. I bet they'll be back. The Mallards seemed subdued; my guess is due to the rising humidity. We walked both loops and came back and were passing the bigger part of the pond when I realized the heron was back perched on the float in the big side of the pond where I used to see her so often last fall. I now know that "float" is related to a source of water that gets turned on - not sure if a person does it, or it is set on a timer - periodically, either to add water to the pond or at least to aerate the water that's there, stir it up so to speak. (At this point I think it probably has so much Canada goose and Mallard poo in it, you could - although you would probably choose to die before doing so - walk on it). It was lovely to see the heron.

Then a few yards further on I realized there was a creature in the grass about 20 feet in front of us and about 10 feet from the pond itself. It was the muskrat! Out on the shore, taking advantage I guess of the early human-less (almost) hour to dry out and eat a few tender blades of grass and dig a few juicy insects (what do muskrats eat? I'll have to look into it). Anyway, he/she made a beeline for the water, which caught Jessie's eye, and she strained to chase the little critter. But splash! The muskrat was able to dive back in the pond. I thought he/she would swim away, but while Jessie sniffed the air and smelled the ground, I saw the muskrat swim back to the shore right near where we stood. I wondered if he/she was waiting and hoping to be able to come back out on dry land again. We left to give him/her the opportunity. It was fun to see the WHOLE body of the little creature out on land and only a few feet away from us.

I'm so looking forward to having Monday off, too. It somehow makes today feel more relaxing to know that it will be following by 2 more non-working days. If the weather cooperates, David and I may go kayaking tonight in the full moon's light, probably down at the shoreline. Should be wonderful. Once before when we went moonlight paddling there, at a certain point as we paddled out the Mystic River estuary into and through the harbor where the river meets the sound, schools of small fish (alewives?) were stirred up by every stroke of our paddles, leaping and jumping out of the gleaming water, shining all silvery in the moonlight. Some jumped into my kayak. One died there, when it slipped below my seat and I couldn't get it out (until we returned to shore). That was an autumn full moon paddle; wonder what a mid-summer full moon paddle will bring?

Peace.