Summer has begun

I took an early stroll around Acewood Park last Sunday before the temperature had breached the 90 degree mark.

While walking up to the trail, I noticed a turkey hen with her youngins in the yard that abuts the park.

Do toms hit the high road after they knock up a hen? Maybe after the eggs hatch? Or was this hen's mate just out running errands when I spied her and her brood?

After the turkey family had wandered away, I noticed that a fence had been erected. 

This could only mean one thing: goats! I found a group of them relaxing in the shade on a hillock down the path a bit.

It looked like there was a bumper crop of garlic mustard so they were feasting like kings, no doubt.

When the kids were hungry, they wasted no time in securing a meal.

The one on the right head butted mom's teat a couple times which could not have been comfortable. Is this how they get the milk flowing or was the kid just being a spaz?

With the trees full of leaves and everything verdant, it was just gorgeous. One of the runoff tributary hoolies that flowed to/from a culvert seemed to have a fair bits of water. 

I found this rather odd as it didn't look like the pond itself had much standing water.

On my way to the arch I noticed a pair of cranes taking in the sun. It turned out that, when I looked at my photos, there was, in fact, a trio of them. The one on the right looks like a juvenile but I am not sure.

It was simply lovely and rather cool in the woods. I felt enveloped by all the green. If only the din of Highway 51 couldn't be heard. During lockdown it was very quiet here and I miss that peace & calm of no traffic.

The birdsong was beautiful and the leaves rustled gently in the breeze. My beloved arch was fully covered with green and the pond was full of whatever those plants are. 

Standing there taking in the scene, I saw some motion to my left. A mallard hen and her ducklings were hanging out in the weeds near the shore. I guess there was water in the pond after all.

Despite the heat, I enjoy seeing all the animals with their offspring as they're adorable. Plus I think there's something majestic, if not transcendent, about the fecundity of nature and its cyclical patterns. It's a joy to witness them all the year long but all the new life in the spring is special for me. Perhaps as my time grows shorter I find a little existential relief from seeing life spring anew.

After I did my loop, I found myself surrounded by woodpeckers as I heard their calls coming from both sides of the path. I caught sight of one in a nearby tree that turned out to be a female. Perhaps she and her fellow were having a conversation about the annoying apeman below.