Watching Over
April 6, 2025 posted by John Richards
the open stretches of the river that will soon be its domain, the young Osprey waits patiently for one of the parents to return. Below a pair of muskrats hide furtively under the low hanging bushes, knowing to foray out could bring down one of the raptors. The splash of a Redfish or Bass after a fly near shore is heard a few yards up the river, as Wood Ducks paddle around among the cypress at the Bayou entrance. Clouds begin to move in from the north-northwest, and the wildlife seem to be preparing for a bout of storms.
The ride back home was an example to me of all I try to talk about in these blogs. Drivers, oblivious to the beauty they pass, concentrate solely on their journey to their next job or appointment. A bicyclist rides, doing his best to avoid the cars and the roadside debris. Travelers exchange pleasantries and stories at the service stations. I frustrate the other vehicles as I enjoy the drive home, taking the time to notice and appreciate the Ibis along the ditches hunting for their lunch, the determined searches of the Egrets as they scavenge in the horse and cow pastures. So much of the beautiful happenings in our world go by unnoticed and unacknowledged. As always, I urge you all to take just 10 minutes to slow down and see the wonder around you.
Although it seems to be quite still, the gently moving air through the piney woods along the Brickyard Bayou cause my glorious Flag to wave its Stars and Stripes for me as I tend to some of my potted plants. Another week and I will be pinching back a couple Patio Tomatoes to eliminate the harmful sucker growths. I relocate a Maple log from the wood pile to allow the Turkey Tail fungus to grow.Perhaps I might, soon, harvest and process some to pass along some medicinal value to some who could use it.
I pray you all have a wonderful day. May He who watches over us all give you the peace and blessings you deserve. Give thanks to Him by allowing yourself time to be humbled by the natural beauty He gives us every day.
Dreams . Sorrow . Hope
Growing up in the 60's and 70's, I am a part of the generation that walked on the moon, developed basic black and white television into high definition color, and made the Personal Computer a household appliance instead of an accountant's job. We started the impetus of innovation and development that propelled us into the 21st century. The most unfortunate by-product we gave the world is the quickening pace of life.
Now, in retirement, I find that the speed I maintained in living has made me forget to observe the world around me. Having the time now, I find my only regrets are associated with not taking the time to celebrate this wonderful world. I now believe my contemporaries were uninspired in our haste to move away from the slower pace of life our parents and grandparents thrived in. To quote a preacher in an old Andy Griffith show, "What's your hurry?"