Life in the Small Pond

 

These young ducks were hatched and raised by my daughter here at Windy Rafters. They've since become my grandchildren's pets. It's so relaxing to sit for a while in the evening and watch the ducks in their little pond.

They love this tiny waterway. It's all they've ever known. They swim back and forth, grooming themselves and searching for food over and over again. I have a new appreciation for the saying, "Water off a duck's back." It really does roll right off! Every once in a while, one of them will flap their wings as if to fly away, but it never happens. It's just a fleeting thought.

Since the pandemic, we've all been living life in the small pond. The difference between us and the ducks is that we've known a much larger world in the past. How do we go from putting 60,000 km a year on our cars and taking international holidays, to staying at home, except for an occasional foray to the grocery store or the neighborhood park?

I've been trying to take a lesson from the ducks. I'm taking great pleasure in the little things close around me. My garden and yard have been a source of great pleasure this year. Our vegetable garden has been fantastic. Early rains and more attention than usual has yielded some wonderful results which we now enjoy at the dinner table every evening.

I have multiple projects in the house as well. I've just finished the illustrations for my second book and writing book three is right around the corner. I've been sewing rag quilts for all my grandchildren for their birthdays. I'm engrossed in cooking and canning projects and try to spend a little bit of each day at the piano. I already have a whole list of projects for the fall and winter. I'm feeling very blessed to be on this big old farm we call Windy Rafters, where I can go for long walks and never leave the property. Most of the time, life in the small pond is not too bad.