Elmira Pond Spotter: Following Clouds

June 24 Morning Pond Report:

Horse Quarters

Sunburst in the Garden

Blue Heron in Tree

Trail of Clouds

Shifting Clouds

Rain Spatters

Lady Rose's Sisters

Northern Idaho is in the Pacific Northwest. The skies confirm this, shifting from one gray cloud cover to another. Clouds hunker so low as to cling to pine trees and linger along mountain draws. It is not rainy or windy, or even cold. Funny, how 62 degrees feels almost warm.

On rare occasion, like right now, the horse actually use their shelter. Snapper is half in, half out and Pistol is snuggled to the ground just beyond. All seems quite, contained in the mists of Elmira. I start to wonder if my garden will grow, and I'm delighted to discover a squash blossom as bright as the absent sun. Leave it to zucchini to grow anywhere!

The pond is quiet, the reeds tall. I miss Blue Heron and wonder if he's moved on or just hiding. The bull frogs are certainly less in number and their loud tromboning has become more of a Gregorian chant. Blue Heron must have dined on lots of frog's legs. Aha! There he is, I see Blue Heron's great blue wings silently flapping across the pasture. And to my surprise, he lands in a tree--a snag of an aspen or birch. Probably an aspen.

Now that his whereabouts are settled, I follow clouds. Isn't it amazing that the skies are never the same from day-to-day? No two clouds are ever alike, no cloud cover quite like the last. So I follow trails of mist crossing the ridge west of Elmira Pond. I am so curious about exploring that ridge, I want to tramp in line behind the clouds and see what they see. Can you imagine being a cloud? Wisping this way and that, receding high into the heavens and darting fast in front of the winds, elongating, bunching and melting in the sun.

Rain. I feel it before it begins, spotting the rock-way that leads to the south porch between the roses. This is perfect sweatshirt weather and I'm wearing my favorite blue hoodie and socks. The wind is not here, probably off visiting the sun, so it's just me and the clouds and the rain. Sitting on the south porch, I don't get wet. My fresh cup of coffee is hot and it feels good to just watch clouds.

Birds are silent in the rain and roses seem brighter. Lady Rose's sisters grow taller, and a darker pink and a lipstick-red rose both bloom slowly, their buds elegant and colorful. I see weeds growing and wonder if they are not weeds. It's possible I've been yanking out pansy plants. Possible. Maybe I'll let the weeds in question grow a bit more.

June 24 Osprey Report:

Osprey! Actually two flew high and north earlier, but now that the rain has settled in, this pond hunter has returned. Why is Elmira Pond more attractive to hunt in the rain? A few hovers, but no dives. Maybe the pond is getting picked off. As the osprey flies off, I see a hawk crouch upon the big power lines. And more clouds.