An escape, a release, an excursion from normal day to day activities: .
My childhood is as a novel with the pages filled of .
memories of this serene Pond and its surroundings. The Pond is no more .
than 3/10ths by 1/10th of a mile in dimensions. It is set back among .
luscious green and yellow pine and maple trees and surrounded by regularly .
mowed green grass. The mix of green shades are similar to a young child's .
drawing using 5 different bright green and yellow markers. .
I lived across the street from this pond for 17 years before leaving to .
live in Dallas last year. I spend many hours simply thinking on top of a .
rock protruding from the ground towards the east side of the Pond. My .
thinking rock, as I dubbed it, has sat next to the pond for as long as I .
can remember. The rock is about 5 feet tall off the ground and about 20 .
feet in circumference around the base. The top of the rock is leveled, .
forming a level bench. This flat bench has provided my seat over the years .
allowing me to peer out across the Pond. I would look around myself and .
ponder the questions of life and become fascinated with everything around .
me as well as listen to the sounds of nature. I hear many sounds; the .
ribbit of a dirty-green plump frog hidden amongst the underbrush, chirps of .
birds high in the sky, and the soft wind as it rustles leaves on the trees. .
The most amazing scene I have witnessed many times along this pond is the .
ducks. .
Every few days, I see a family of ducks traveling across the green .
grass. The smallest duck, no more than 4 inches tall, would march proudly .
near the end of the pack. I see sparse, thin clumps of down over his .
otherwise bare self as he bellows, with his newborn duckling voice, a high .
pitched quack. As my eyes follow the family towards the frond of the line, .
the elder ducks appear covered with stiffened slick feathers. Being the .
more grown and mature ducks in this family, their quacks are extremely .