Last night we spent the evening down by the pond, enjoying the campfire, eating chili, and taking in the pre-summer scenery. A chili dinner down at Camp Firefly is our version of going out for an expensive meal and a play. And though you don't know for sure who the characters are going to be or what the story line is about, you know that something interesting and surprising will happen nonetheless.Last night's story began with a 'possum stopping by, oblivious to our presence (as they so often seem to be), scouring the forest floor for tasty bugs. He (or she...it's impossible to get a look under the hood of a 'possum) appeared stage left, spent about an hour making his way up the creek bed, and exited stage right toward the big rocks up the hill.
Act II was a musical number - a medley performed by a trio of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Eastern Wood Peewees and Wood Thrushes. And even though their songs were in a foreign language, it was clear they were singing about protecting territories and attracting mates.
Then, the story line reached its climax when Wood Duck mom, Lady, silently emerged from the brush along the pond shore, with approximately 6 of her brood in tow, to paddle around for only a few minutes before just as silently moving back into the safety of their den. This was particularly thrilling because the last time we had seen Lady and her 13 kids was when they swam out of the camera shot on May 10th. Earlier that day, we had just decided that all the ducklings - like their gosling brethren before them - must have fallen prey to the many predators that roam our woods.
The play concluded at dusk, when the bats arrived to perform their nightly aerobatics, and the 'possum reappeared, making his way stage right to left, bringing our story line full circle.
