A Bugle Call : 1-01-11

A slight mist of fog is caught in the act of being by the light of the early morning sun. Sometime during the dark of night it crept along from whence it came to the base of the hundreds of cabbage palms spread out over the acreage of the brown grassy pastures across the county road where we reside. It slowly lifts and dissipates as the earth turns her face to the ancient sun. The new morn shows the Spanish moss dripping from grandfather Oaks and any other trees close enough to share their hanging tattered ponchos of silvery moss. This new light of 1/o1/11 reveals a faded blue sky with wisps of Cirrus clouds forming above our little pond. Turtles raise their heads from the protection of their shells to watch the flock of Sand hill Cranes flying to their planned feeding destinations for this glorious day. A family of three land by the big pond across the road and begin their long legged, leisurely patient hunt for the present day’s vittles. The rest of the flock separates and all call to each other from different locations as they settle in for the day as if to let each family know where they are and to reinforce that though they are separated by distance: they are still of one flock and together. This evening of 1/o1/11 these huge majestic birds will call each other back together with loud raucous voices into one flock and parade back over and around our little house, palms, palmettos and pastures in a grand and glorious flight, announcing their strength of togetherness with the triumphant sounds of their staccato bugling for all of nature to stand in awe of. And as part of this nature: I do. And it lifts me in faith, hope and wonder of God and His creation. Let this little message be our bugle call to you all. Happy New Year everyone, from your fellow Humans in the natural wonderland of Okeechobee, Florida. God bless us all!