What a difference two weeks makes. The pond has shaken
itself free of the snow and ice and gray that has blanketed it for months. More
birds have arrived. The geese still patrol the island, along with some gulls.
No more herons, or at least there weren’t any when I went this week. And a
group of about five turtles sat on a big rock just off the island. How long
have they been awake?
Many more humans have arrived as well. I brought Henry and
Stella with me, since it was so nice out. All winter when I visited the pond,
the other people I saw were usually alone, usually quiet. On this sunny
afternoon, the boardwalk was full of families, couples and lots of other dogs.
And Stella spotted some fish.
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| Spring is sprung |
We entered by the former boathouse. Right away, Henry and
Stella spotted toy in the water—one of those hollow plastic zoo souvenirs. The
bright green ape floated on his back close enough to the sidewalk that my kids
thought they could reach in and pick it up. When they couldn’t grab it, they
spent some time looking for a stick to push it into the tall pond grass, where
they thought they’d be able to grab it. But there were no sticks around. So we walked on.
Under the pedestrian bridge, I showed them the mud on the
beams, put there so barn swallows can build nests. “Do you think someone throws
that up there?” Stella asked. They must. “That would be a fun job,” she said.
We planned to stay for only 20 minutes. Everyone had
homework. But once we were there, it was hard to leave. We walked the entire
half-mile boardwalk then stopped in the pavilion to take photos.
As I’ve been blogging about the boardwalk, so has the zoo
staff. Their most recent entry says the birdfeeders I spotted last time I was
at the pond are not actually feeders. They’re meant to be homes for black-capped
chickadees. Like woodpeckers and nuthatches, chickadees are cavity-nesting
birds. Many birds have returned to the pond since the renovation, such as
red-winged blackbirds and house finches. But cavity-nesting birds don’t have as
many opportunities to find homes where the trees are healthy and thriving—not
as many cavities. So the zoo hung nesting boxes, with openings that are too
small for sparrows, one of the chickadees’ main housing competitors. The zoo
hopes that starting this year, migrating chickadees will like the boardwalk as
well as the herons and geese do.
Lori,
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked in for a while. I love the simplicity, the ease, the lightness of your observations. They are so elegant and graceful. they are paired down to the essences and display a deep simplicity that gives us direct access to your essential expressions. I love the parts with your children. I went on a late afternoon hike with my daughter and there is something indescribable...something...well... just special in the uneventfulness of sharing with your kids. I also appreciate the mini-lessons that you provide for us on birds and the like. Your blog encapsulates all that a good blog should. Its ease and entertainment are paramount. They make me feel human. a beautiful way to end the day and shut down the computer. Nice job and thanks.
Marc
"Many more humans have arrived as well. I brought Henry and Stella with me, since it was so nice out. All winter when I visited the pond, the other people I saw were usually alone, usually quiet. On this sunny afternoon, the boardwalk was full of families, couples and lots of other dogs. And Stella spotted some fish."
ReplyDeleteThis must be a week for visiting our spaces with company! i just commented on Daeja's blog who also visited her space with a little one.
I so enjoy reading your blog week after week. There is such beautiful, insightful, and lasting reflection that I cannot get enough of. Like many of your previous blogs I appreciate how you notice the tension between the urban and the wild and you swing it in a new and original way each time: "We entered by the former boathouse. Right away, Henry and Stella spotted toy in the water—one of those hollow plastic zoo souvenirs. The bright green ape floated on his back close enough to the sidewalk that my kids thought they could reach in and pick it up."
I also appreciate how you incorporate the factual with the figurative. I always learn something when leaving your blog posts, which is something I admire in your writing.
Thank you,
Marguerite
I'm going to sound repetitive here - what I get for getting so behind in commenting - but this entry, as Marc & Marguerite have said, really encapsulates why this is such an effective portrayal of this place: we're learning so much about it but it's all filtered through the lens of your own (and this time, your kids') experiences. Those are always so well integrated and work well to fully illuminate this place.
ReplyDelete"We planned to stay for only 20 minutes. Everyone had homework. But once we were there, it was hard to leave."
ReplyDeleteLori, I love the simplicity of this because it states the problem but it also shows us how time outside on a beautiful day can lead to a wonderful delinquency. I agree with Marguerite that the way you incorporate the factual with the figurative is wonderful. Thanks for a lovely post on your pond.