The dock in my back yard is small, built of wood above the sometimes-murky water of the 20-acre lake behind my home. The dock was built long before I moved here, and although it is still sturdy, should probably be rebuilt soon in the years to come. From my dock, I've observed and recorded the wonderful sights and sounds of nature; from colorful insects, beautiful herons, and a wide variety of fish.
My dock is aged, but has provided much enjoyment to my family and I over the past years. A creak and a groan can be heard as I walk up the ramp to the wooden gate that keeps my little, tan chihuahua from running onto the dock and jumping into the shallow water. As I step onto the old dock, two large dragonflies buzz past my head as they play, what seems to be, an exhilarating game of tag. I enjoy the dragonflies as they keep the annoying, blood sucking "vampires", also known as mosquitoes, under control. .
As I sit down in wicker chair, I'm pleasantly overwhelmed by the sweet scents and serene sounds that seem to welcome me to my seat. Just as I begin to prop my feet up on the wooden railing around the dock, I'm startled by two small squirrels scampering through the few patches of brown leaves on the ground behind me. I continue to watch the squirrels for a few minutes and as I admire their seemingly never ending energy, they frantically jump from limb to limb on the tall oak trees. I hear a "whoosh" to my right and I feel a warm gust of wind as a big, blue heron swoops down over the surface of the warming water, hoping to catch fish. .
At 8:15 a.m., the water is beginning to warm up from the already stifling heat of the sun. I can hear the soft trickle of water droplets from the beautiful fountain to my right that filters the water in the lake. As I'm listening, admiring the almost rain like sounds of the water, I can also hear the short songs and sounds of a of birds that are also enjoying the sunshine.
