Celebrating Easter is a sure sign that spring has arrived or is just
around the corner.
Of course, the signs of spring are already all around us; Singing
birds, flowering trees, and longer,
warmer days. This brings us outside to enjoy the mild weather for walks around
the neighborhood or parks, gardening, going to the ball fields, or simply to
soak up the warm sunshine.
Spring is also a time of new life. The local farms are full of newborn
calves, lambs, and fuzzy chicks. And here on the edge of the forest, the wildlings
are being born, too. Watching a doe with her spotted fawn picking their way
through a field of wildflowers, or a family of raccoons peering down from the
trees, is a tender testament to the season. Baby birds, squirrels, and
ducklings tug at even the toughest heart strings.
Sights like these are one of the reasons I am a country gal at
heart. One of the first sights Hubby and I saw when we were deciding whether or
not to move to our little piece of paradise was a field of cow elk, new calves
by their sides, with Mount Rainier looming in the distance. It was love at
first sight.
Once in a while we get to see
something really special, like the family of skunks crossing the gravel road that
we live on, tails held high, all in a row. Or the mother bear I saw last spring
in the woods behind the house, with her tiny, teddy bear cub. I wisely kept my
distance.
Early one beautiful spring
morning, a few years ago, I was in my kitchen enjoying a second cup of coffee
after Hubby left for work, when I heard my two big dogs barking and went out to
investigate. Was I ever upset when I saw that they had chased a neighbor cat up
the big Hemlock tree about 20 feet from the house. I told those bad dogs to ‘go lay down’ and
then tried to coax that poor, terrified cat down from the branch just above my
head.
I should have remembered my
glasses, but even without them I could see that cat had an unusually thick tail
tucked tightly around him and seemed to be on the large side, but I attributed
it to the thick, fluffy, buff colored fur I could see on his underside. His large
whiskered face was turned away from me, so I soothingly told him that
everything would be alright and he didn’t have to worry about those big, bad
dogs anymore and he could come on down now.
He turned around to look at
me and his tail came down, all three feet of it, and all at once I realized I
was sympathizing with a half grown cougar! But like all babies, he was lapping
up all that sympathy and looking at me like he was the most pitiful creature on
earth, with big, sad, golden eyes and ears hanging down in a dejected sort of way.
I don’t remember how I got back into the house. I vaguely remember
floating backwards, calling the dogs along with me, all the while talking
soothingly to our little guest while I tried not to hyperventilate.
It took me quite a while to recover and peek back out the door, but
by then baby cougar was gone. I shudder to think of what mama might have been
doing while all that was going on. I’m sure if she made a move, my faithful
companions would have disobeyed orders.
Now, I never leave the house without my glasses. And I always let
the dogs go first. Because you never
know what sweet little baby you might see this time of year, if you just take a
closer look.
xoxo
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