Wonder

A sense of wonder. Being wonder-full is wonderful.

A few days ago, I was walking home and I became aware of a busy-ness in my peripheral vision. Stopping to look, I noticed a house with a bird feeder on its porch. It was busy, and the main birds were goldfinches, along with some house finches. It’s spring, so many birds are sporting their mating finery, and it was a show. I tried getting some pictures with my phone with limited success.

It was a great reminder to me to slow down and look around. There’s a lot of wonder nearby. Yes, there’s a part of me that loves to travel and explore new places and their wonders, and part of my retirement is to wonder closer to home as well.

This past Sunday, BA and I took a drive to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. The arsenal was established during WW II and was used for the manufacture of chemical weapons, nerve gas (serin) and rocket fuels amongst all manner of nasty things. Its located just east of Denver. Shell oil leased some of the property and manufactured pesticides. Yuck. All manufacturing activities ceased in 1982, and this giant superfund site has undergone a significant cleanup. This link is to a Colorado Dept of Public Health article if you’re interested. At any rate, this area of great toxicity is being somewhat converted, and the cleaned areas and never contaminated parts are now wildlife refuge. Sunday, we saw herds of grazing bison, with a lot of new reddish calves. Also many birds, including a pair of hawks actively making eggs for their new nests. It is lovely to witness the transformation of this area. Wonder at both the transformation and the delight of baby bison racing up and down hills, stopping at Mom for a snack.

Yesterday, BA and I walked down to the local pond. Ducks and geese, redwings and meadowlarks were about, as were some of the turtles up from the mud and taking the sun. One big turtle was disturbed by a cranky goose hissing, and flapping over who knows what. We’ve seen him before throw fits and create quite the ruckus. Can’t figure out what his histrionics are about, but he definitely tends towards the melodramatic. The turtle went into the water, but a few minutes later had reclaimed his place in the sun.

Today, I walked with my friend Nancy through county open space, an area where I hadn’t been. Walking along wetlands, we saw wonderful birds–the usual ducks and geese, along with a great blue heron, blue birds, jays, and many others, all busy with their lives on this spring morning. We also saw this low growing wildflower, which may be an alpine lily. Plenty to wonder at close to home, even as I get ready to travel. Keeping my eyes and ears open.

Written in response to the blogging from A to Z Challenge “W” and the ragtag daily prompt of melodramatic.