Nature Going On

In the way of wildlife, it's been an interesting few months around the homestead. After watching a small fox run to and fro on the property over the course of several days, I realized he (or she) is living under one of the outbuildings. Now, I'm not sure what happened to the groundhog that used to live under that same building, but I doubt they're both coexisting within the same hole.

Then, the other day, while looking out the kitchen window at the rain, I saw a deer walking around in the clearing behind the house. After circling the area for a minute or two, it gracefully laid down and extended its nose upward to sniff the moist air. Like a tourist at a theme park, I grabbed my phone and rushed outside to take a picture. However, due to my inability to focus my camera and jog in the rain at the same time, I ended up with few lackluster shots of the grass and wet shoes.

Also, I discovered a nest of baby field mice in the basement, three Garter snakes in various parts of the yard, a big snake climbing the trunk of a cedar tree, and during one of my morning runs, I was chased for at least three full seconds by a territorial robin.

While I am not a wildlife aficionado, I am smart enough to know that these occurrences are not unusual when living in the country. Moreover, I was raised to respect the outdoors, and to learn from it. And despite human interference, nature has a way of going on, of doing what it is supposed to do when it is supposed to do it. At best, I am a visitor in these parts, just passing through, and that's okay with me.