Cedar Pond Explored

This week we were privileged to have our daughter's two daughters for two nights and three days as a special birthday request from our #5 granddaughter (MN), and she asked that her sister, #2 granddaughter (KN), spend this time with her. Of course! We're delighted to be considered a treat for them, we know that just as our children grew up so quickly, so will these precious ones and time with them is not to be put off "for later". The grandchildren, just as their parents, love to spend time around the pond. Paddling the boat with Poppa, throwing rocks into the pond, swirling sticks to see what floats up...or simply enjoying the woods around the pond and catching glimpses of frogs, birds, ducks, and who knows what other amazing things. Ah! I get a smile out of her as I walk toward her with a camera. She is usually camera shy and I was prepared for a scowl, but look! She is happy and loving her time around the pond. KN has run outside by herself frequently today to wander the property , follow my ducks around, and explore the pond's edge. " A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision ,that true instinct for what is beautiful, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood." Rachel Carson Little sister MN follows her big sister around the pond's edge and after their pleading for me to come with them how could I not? This area of the pond has much more treacherous footing than it looks from this picture, but with sturdy mud boots and small trees to grasp we do just fine as we explore. "Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them." Audubon Nature Preschool The sisters find one of their mothers' childhood secret places. It is hard to get into this place under some very large cedar trees. You could sit under them in pouring rain and the cedars would keep you dry. "Children learn best through their everyday experiences with the people they love and trust, and when the learning is fun. And the best places for these experiences is outdoors, in the natural world." KN was truly in her glory and delight today, I think she is happy her little sister requests her presence for all things that make her ( little sister) happy. I am glad too. "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.." And I believe this last quote to be true because one cannot truly contemplate this vast and awesome creation without contemplating the Source of it....God! "O Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou has made them all; the earth is full of Thy possessions. " Psalm 104:24 , and "Every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine." Psalm 50:10,11

A Girl & Her Frog

This morning started off bright and sunny ( sunshine didn't last long) and the granddaughters reminded Poppa he promised to take them on a boat ride around our pond. Poppa found a frog which this granddaughter took as her own. She rushed into the house with it carefully contained in her hand, asking for a jar. I found one, put moss in it and placed the frog in it's new and hopefully temporary home....hmmm. Does she look happy or what? The 3 older granddaughters and Poppa launched the small dinghy I still need to clean and paint, note the granddaughter to the side of Poppa still holding her frog. I did not ask her to pose with the frog and did not realize how many pictures of her proudly displaying her frog there were til I downloaded and examined them.

The boat is off and away , look, the frog is held high as they smile and laugh.

The boat floats by again ~ look, the frog in the jar is displayed with smiles from the granddaughter.

As Little 'T' and I watch them row by I snap a picture. I am surprised on viewing the pictures at how aware of me #4 Granddaughter was and how pleased she was to again show us her frog in a jar. I think she likes this frog.

Poppa let the girls explore our island in the middle of the pond and I was amazed to see #4 Granddaughter running around the island with the frog. ( #3 Granddaughter is by her side)

Look at this, she is stepping into the boat with Poppa AND holding her frog in the jar. She is not going to let go her grasp of this little creature.

My little princess and her frog help Poppa row the boat around the island to pick up her sisters on the island with the frog firmly placed at her side on the seat. I think she likes the frog very much. He is going to be at our tea party with the cousins tomorrow. Now I will have to include bugs for the frog in the menu.

Spot of Duck Watching

~Ferns unfurling new fronds near Cedar Pond.~

Our only ducks to have survived the coyote slaughter in December have become a pair. An odd pair ,yes. But they are a pair. They did their courting and mating on the pond and the tall,closed- umbrella shaped runner duck laid about 25 eggs she carefully concealed in her nest of feathers, twigs and leaves , in the pen we built for them. One day I let them out as usual to run and swim freely until pen- up time in the evening and...she waddled out of the pen about 20 feet, stopped..turned back and ran into the pen onto her nest. I could almost hear her duck brain thinking " Oh, I almost forgot. I am to be a mother and I have responsibility. Back to the nest! " And now she patiently sits on her nest only to get off once or twice a day to eat, drink, and relieve herself.

If you are not close to her it is hard to distinguish her from the leaves and feathers around the nest. She is well camouflaged. It takes about 28 days for duck eggs to hatch.I hope she does hatch out a few, I am curious about what the ducklings from this mating would look like. See, here is the father , the duck partner. See how small this Call Duck is ? He is smaller than the standard chicken that shares the pen with him and his mate. His voice makes up for his small size though, you can hear his loud quack from everywhere around here!

~The pond after the rain, yesterday.~

The wood duck pair is still here. My husband and I wait at the pond's edge every night , unless it is raining hard. The duck flies into the snag like clockwork, 6:30 every night. On Mother's Day we observed her fly in with the male, he landed on the pond, she flew into the crevice in the snag. According to the books, he will desert her after she lays all the eggs in her clutch and then she will sit on the eggs for up to 35 days. We are hoping to see the young jump out of their nest onto the ferns below. We'll see.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." Antonio Smith

Spot on Snow Dogs

~A glimmer of sunshine through the cedar trees around the pond.~

~The dogs play on the ice. Being retrievers, they retrieve, and each one tries to out retrieve the other. This is fun to watch them do on ice!~

~Whoossh......here comes Mabel! Slippy slide, .....there she goes !~

~Sienna, the older girl on ice, the mother of the red puppies, slips on the ice trying to out-retrieve her two older daughters, Willow and Beatrix.~

~Sienna and Beatrix grab the stick at the same time.~

~Mama wins every time. This old girl still has it , she can out- run, out- swim and out- retrieve her daughters and still raise a litter of puppies. Way to go Sienna!~

~The weather forecasters were ALL wrong about the effect of the storm on our area. Thank-you Lord ! We had snowfall, a very tiny breeze, and more snowfall. The news did show some bad times for other areas of our region, and it was not a good night to be on the road, but we were safe at home. We had a quiet and pleasant evening. Hubby and I ate well, he tried to teach me Cribbage. I wrapped presents and fell asleep on the sofa with Hubby.A very nice evening. Too bad it takes a snowstorm to cause us to slow down and just be. ~I am baking Christmas cookies with 3 of our grandchildren tomorrow, and we have some crafting to do...some special Christmas story books to read, maybe play some games . If the snow hangs on we'll go outside for some snow fun!