THE POND

Many of you have been talking about looking at little things in nature and viewing them with fresh eyes. For the past week I've been walking in a part of our addition that isn't developed yet. It doesn't have sidewalks, paved roads or even a resemblance of houses to come. I love that area.

Right in the middle of it is a pond. You can't see it until you get off the beaten path a ways. The first day I visited it, there were mounds of dirt that a builder deposited. I think they were trying to level the ground and get rid of a big dip so the houses would eventually be on an even plain. The next day the mounds were leveled.

Each day as I stand in silence and gaze over the still water of the pond, I view birds of all types. There are ducks and geese but mostly killdeer.

Those strange long legged birds chirp and get close to you and then stiff-leggedly walk away. They are trying to get you to follow...to get you away from their nests. Without a doubt there are nests somewhere near the pond...somewhere near the mounds...somewhere near the dirt. Those birds do not want people around or mounds or dirt.

Yesterday as I entered the opening to visit my pond, there was a message written in the lose powdery dirt. I think it said, "Stay away from our nests!" It looked like cursive writing all done in bird tracks. They were wound around, over and under. Just like a message.

Tonight I'll visit again. I can't stay away. I love the quietness with just silly bird chirps, insect screeches and powdery messages written in the dirt.