Water

In chat room I've joined, introductions are in order by answering "Where is your heart home?" Here's my answer.



I grew up near a small muddy river, and I loved sitting on the tall cut-away bank watching the water. Occasionally I would see a very large and very old gar (a fish sort of like a barraccuda but with a long sharp nose/mout of teeth). I wished him long life. Fish jumped. Squirrels dug nuts from the ground behind me. Crickets and frogs wee noisy. And, I could go there alone at about age 8. My refuge. Once I even saw three bob cats merrily playing outside their den in the driftwood on the other side of the cut. Mama bob cat watched me, but I didn't move a hair.



Then I discovered the ocean - nothing as far as I could see. I would stare for hours. We were blessed to live in a small apartment on a high hill in Bermuda where my Dad was stationed. I sat on the front porch watching storms and calms, even hung onto the rail through part of a hurricane so I could see the water spouts. And, I swam and played under the water. But, I don't like beaches and hot sand.

Then I discovered lakes and their wonder - clear, bright, and wonderful places to watch the sunset. Canoes, kayaks skiffs, jet skis and power boats - I love them all. They put me out in the middle of the water.



Now, I am truly blessed to live on a creek that is as wide as my first river. And, I can sit and watch the water for long unmoving periods of time. I love watching the jet skis do donuts and figure eights and the teenagers having fun and the fishing people. The background is a stand of old cypress trees in a bog, and I've tried many times and in many forms to paint it. The water reflects the trees with the sun on them in the afternoon, and all turns russet with a few flecks of bright yellow sunlight on other trees.



Recently, I took a cruise ship back to Bermuda fifty years after I had lived there. Bermuda was busy and rushed and not the idyllic place of my childhood. But, we had a private balcony, and I slept on the balcony one night - nothing but me and the water and the moon rising over the ship.

I have a fountain and bird baths that are much used by the birds we feed and by soul. When I can't sleep at night, I open the door to my study so that I can hear the fountain gurgling.

So, the home of my hear is Water, a little bit, a lot and anything in between.