It’s spring and I’m looking out at the creek through my kitchen window, seeing what’s there today and thinking of what’s yet to come. 

The geese are back, honking and flying over the house, eating in the neighbor’s field, and swimming in the creek. The local heron has taken up residence on the dock. Mallards that use the creek as a stop over during migrations are here, their wings fluttering as they come in for a water landing.

Pretty soon sea gulls will perch on the pilings. The squawks and chattering of the gulls provide the sounds of waterfront life and a mess on the dock. The gulls have come to ignore the fake owl. The owl was put on the dock to discourage landings.

Soon, crab pots will be baited and lowered into the water next to the pier. Summer isn’t summer without steamed crabs. 

On the fence next to house are new bluebird nesting boxes. If we are lucky, we’ll have bluebirds again this year. It doesn’t take long for the entire process of egg laying, hatching, and flying lessons to take place. The baby birds are gone far too quickly.

It looks like the mother fox is back, making a den in one of the many groundhog burrows along the driveway. We won’t see much of the mother fox for a while. Her hunting increases, as she needs to supply more and more solid food for her growing family. Soon, we will see her trot across the field on her way to hunt. In time we should see the baby foxes play in the driveway, at dusk, if we are quiet. 

The skunks are back too. One has made itself comfortable in a pile of hay in the barn. While skunks are, at a safe distance, cute animals, they aren’t much fun up close. My hope is that this skunk needed a place for the night and is just passing through. 

The skunk hasn’t bothered the sheep, as all the ewes have given birth. The lambs are playing in the field, running, jumping, and pestering their mothers, while the ram overlooks his herd.
I need to get on with the work that I lined up for today or I won’t finish in time to watch the sunset. I like to cook dinner, look out over the water and watch the sunset’s display of brilliant colors of, red, pink, mauve, yellow, and gold. Each sunset is beautiful yet different. 
Here’s to a good spring and a great summer! 

© 2001 Michele Fullerton Selvage All Rights Reserved.