Summer – is it at its zenith or is it on its way out? It seems that plants and animals, the very air, have a different feel about them, a sort of sleepiness, sort of lolling in the warmth but with an eye to shorter days and the next season. It’s fun to notice the behavior of animals and wonder just how much they know about how long summer is going to last.
Peg said she had an interesting experience with a hummingbird yesterday. She was watering a lilac bush and she noticed a hummingbird flying in the spray. Afraid that the force of the water would hurt the fragile bird, she moved the hose. Well, the hummingbird followed it! He thoroughly enjoyed his refreshing shower bath. My brother Richard said he has seen hummingbirds behave in this way too.
Richard also told an interesting story about a cat. He was traveling along a paved country road a couple of days ago and as he drew even with a house, he saw a passle of dogs – probably three or four who were dozing in the middle of the pavement. Of course, Richard slowed the truck and waited for them to move out of his way. In among that bunch of dogs, was a black cat who had been taking a snooze with his dog pals. The cat got up to give the road to Richard too, but he didn’t hurry out of the way, he meandered, taking his own time, boss of the whole pack. That cat had a sense of presence!
Sometimes, it is amusing to see how money is being spent by governments. Someone had decided to do a study on horses, to see how they communicate. Guess what? They found that ear movements are significant with horses! Now, any rancher, farmer, or anyone who has ever been around horses could have told them that, without spending months and money on a study! When a horse points his ears forward, he sees something. One ear forward, one back has significance too. Perhaps it means he is listening in two directions. When a horse pricks up his ears, looks in the distance and whinnies softly, he sees, hears, or smells something. They didn’t get around to mentioning this one, but I could tell them from experience, when a horse lays his ears back, look out! He is not in the best of moods and doesn’t relish the thought of carrying a passenger. And, animals as well as plants, are wonderful weather predictors, if we take the time to notice.
Birds, cats, dogs, summer gardens, all have something to say, each in its own way. Observing them is a privilege and a blessing. Besides, it’s a lot of fun!
A Midsummer Garden
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