It is a warm and pleasant May afternoon. I spend an hour sitting on the bench next to my pond and watching the wealth of life that surrounds me.
A pair of mating toads create a long strand of black pearls behind them, lying in coils and strands amongst the watercress and lilypads. Occasionally one of the single, singing males attempts to interrupt their union, and the pond erupts into a show of splashes and kicks. Brand new, tiny little tadpoles cling to the algae-covered walls. Our dear frog, who has been with us for three years now (and has gotten absurdly large in size) relaxes on the stones surrounding the water, awaiting his next meal. Even as I watch, a brown and black chipmink peeks his head over the the rock barrier, its hands pressed together beneath its chin, watching me. His family finds safe roads beneath the wooden pation that we built, which is elevated a few inches off the ground. Honeybees and bumblebees are hard at work pollinating the holly bushes and they create a buzz that can be heard even over the sound of the traffic. Their labors are evident in the apple trees, who have losts their blossoms and are already swelling with young fruit. A yellow finch flits from branch to branch, chirping quietly as though talking to itself. The breeze brings me scents of fresh mown grass, lily of the valley, and rain-washed earth. In this moment, I am part of this beautiful world. I am complete. I am happy.