Confessions of a Georgia Belle: New Beginnings

After all the rain we have had here lately, Fire Ant hills are everywhere along the farm. I do not like killing anything, so normally, I just kick the tops of the hills, and they scatter. They move on to a different location. Sometimes, I have to kick the tops off everyday for a few days till they finally get the hint and move on. But here lately this hasnt been working. The mounds are getting bigger, nothing is stopping them, they just continue to rebuild.

I walked on along down to the lake, searching for a little "me" time. A short cut through the woods takes me to my favorite spot of seclusion. Some days I just sit for hours, reflecting on the past, looking into the future, or simply just absorbing the energies around me. I take the time to talk to the nature spirits around me, each and every morning, but when Im at my little secret spot at the lake, I sit and I listen. I watched the birds this morning, fly over the water, and I thought to myself how wonderful it would be, to be as free they were. No problems, no worries, just free. The water in front of me made a small noise, I looked out to see circles forming on top of the water, a fish, hitting the top of the water grabbing its morning breakfast. I thought to myself, how nice it would be to be free as the fish, living in a different world under the water, never thirsting, never hungry, no worries, no problems. I looked out among the trees, soon their green will turn to beautiful hues of orange, gold, red, and yellow with the fall tempertures coming in. My favorite time of the year. I made a mental note to get some bird feed for my winter, feathered friends who live around me. Something moved behind me, I turned to look, searching in the trees for the noise. I saw his cute bushy tail, a squirrel looking and gathering his acorns, stocking up and getting ready for the colder temperatures. He saw me watching, and froze momentarily. I assured him I would not harm him, and I assured him, I was not there to take his food. After a few minutes of him contemplating my words, he scurried on, jumping limb to limb. Suddenly I missed Pepper. Pepper was a pet squirrel I had one time. I rescued him from a fallen nest. I took him in and hand fed him pure goats milk from a bottle. I fed him pecans from the pecan orchards, and bird seed. Pepper was cool, he always sat on my shoulder, sometimes stretching out around my neck to take a quick nap. After about a year of keeping Pepper as a pet, he decided he wanted to live with his own. I miss Pepper.

I took my shoes and socks off, and rolled up my jeans and stepped down into the water. Feeling the soft sand squish between my toes. I was now connected to life in the water, from the micro-organisms growing, to the fish that swam around, my feet touching the bottom of the lake, I could feel life. Had it been warmer, I probably would have stripped down to my undies as I often do, and swim with the habitats of the water, but it was too cool for that.
I threw a rock across the water, the splash was louder than I intended, I felt I somehow might have disturbed the living under the waters. I retreated back to my spot on the side of the lake, keeping my feet in the water.

Life...everything around me was life. Everything around me was living, yet some people do not take the time to reflect on life around them, too busy to notice the existance of what is around them. You dont have to live in the country to notice, life is all around.
I understand when a new building is about to be constructed, trees are cut down, the land is cleared in order to build. I have to remind myself, that everytime I walk into Starbucks, at one time, life lived there before the expensive coffee shop was built. How many people realize, the life they are destroying to gain the money from our pockets when businesses are built? I understand without grocery stores, without housing developments, without the commercial and residential needs we possibly wouldnt survive. We have become accustomed to a different form of life, where everything is readily available to us. Yet, life in the wild, life in nature, we think sometimes how free they are, maybe they arent so free. Worries? Had I just not reflected on what it would be like to be free and have no worries? Maybe life in nature to do worry, some of us just dont take the time to listen.

On my way back home, I spotted a dead beetle. I picked him up and put him in the pocket of my jeans. I stopped and peeled the bark off a pine tree, I saw a bug. I had destroyed part of his home. I tried replacing the bark, but damage was done, now the bug would have to relocate.

I walked out of the woods, and I looked across the fields. I could see the deep dark orange mounds of fire ant homes across the fields. I walked up to one, and poked a hole in the top with my finger, pulling it out quickly so I wouldnt get stung by them. I took the dead beetle out of my pocket and quickly dropped it into the hole. I watched the ants swarm around him, ontop of him, devouring him. Free food!

I walked inside my house, and poured a cup of hot steaming coffee. I retrieved the bag of sugar from the cabinet to refill my sugar dish, but little black specks poured in the sugar dish along with my sugar...sugar ants. Ah yes, sugar ants, stealing my sugar! I took the bag outside and laid it on the ground, I would not take thier food from them as they graciously took from me :)
I felt like killing, but instead, I cut up a lemon, i searched for their opening, and placed the lemon wedge to their entrance way..now they will have to find another way to get in, to possibly steal again from me, in order to survive.

I confess...life in the country is the best