18 January 2013 Reflections
The predawn sky told me it would be a bright sunny morning. I ventured outside to set up my blind. Old Man River was fishing in the stream. I disturbed him again. This creature of God is a solitary one. I said I was sorry and hurried away. Got my editor to work and walked down to pray. I was feeling lower than the tide.. The barnacles of life were clinging to me. I recently learned one of my credit cards had been hacked. Although the deceit was reported and had quickly been fixed, those worrisome barnacles of life still clung to my back.
I sat and I sat. Not one bird appeared. An hour went by “ Seems there is just not much life here today”. The marsh was clear and the sky was blue, but nothing would stir save the wind in my ear. I then heard a small bird in the marsh but could not see a thing but the movement of the grass as it chirped out of sight. Some days are just meant to be ordinary nothing days, I suppose. Determined to leave, for some unknown reason I stayed. I began to think about one of my favorite Gaither’s gospel singers, the late Jesse Dixon. Soon I was singing one of his songs in my mind “Ain’t no body… gonna rob me of my joy! Suddenly I heard a familiar “sqrawck” behind me. There above me was that same Tricolored Heron from yesterday. He had perched again on his favorite pole and looked around and gave me a glance that seemed to say “Don’t worry about those barnacles”. I watched as he deliberately faced the four points of the compass and looked out with his eyes, much further no doubt than I could see now. Facing first to the north, to the south, to the east, then finally the west, he cleared his throat, ruffled his feathers and seemed to loudly declare “No worries about. I’ve chased them away”. The barnacles of doubt were now gone and in their place I now felt JOY! I clicked and I clicked as he eyed me below and I knew now why I had stayed. A snowy white egret swooped in and jauntily said hi. A little sandpiper, on stilt like feet, comically walked the mud bank. I clicked away till my camera rang “MEMORY FULL”! My spare card was in the house. Oh Dang. I deleted some frames and tried to shoot some more. Then I heard that familiar sound as the Tricolor flew away. He glanced over his wing as if to say, “See you later friend. It’s time to go”.
Don’t let the barnacles of life get you down. We are like pilings supporting life’s dock, driven deep into the firm bedrock below. But this dock of life still sits over mud, where the barnacles cling. When they get too heavy just remember words that Jesse sang. “Ain’t no body gonna rob me of my Joy!” Be blessed. Harry
Sqrawck- a bird like expression that is as close I can express!
The barnacles of life
My Tricolored Heron friend.
He faced to the North!
To the South!
To the East!
Then finaly to the West , he loudly proclaimed " No worries about, I chased them away".
A jaunty snowy egret says hi!
Sandpiper on stilts hops by!
That's all for today!