The Jungle

Have you ever sat in a chair and looked through a ray of sunshine coming in one of the nearby windows? One can see all the dust particles that are in the air like they are gypsies in a musical.

Today I did something similar. I sat by a window and just watched life evolve in the back yard. The interesting part was that the sun was shining directly on the area closest to the house but the yard and house next door was in shadows. So what I was looking at stood out like the dust particles in the sunshine ray.

At first I watched a couple of large butterflies that were so happy to have found the spearmint patch in full blossom. They flitted from one purple top to another. Soon they were joined by a white moth.

As I sat and watched, there were hundreds of small dots of sunlit bugs of all kinds. Some buzzed around while other were just traveling through.

We have three raised beds of plants occupying the back yard that are four by eight feet long. The first one is half full of Melissa (Lemon Balm)but I also planted two tomato plants in there this year. I put four stakes near them to hold them up as they grow. I wrapped these stakes with cording. So far we have only eaten one tomato of the twelve that they have. The rest are all different sizes and in different stages of color.

The reason for this description is that a wren is sitting on the top of one of the stakes looking in at my window, telling me, "Don't forget to mention me out here in the sunshine." Sometimes he faces my window and natters so loudly that our cats take issue with it.

It is amazing the number of bugs that are out there enjoying whatever is in season and today it is the Spearmint. The Peppermint still has away to go before it will be in full blossom but soon it will be loaded with flowers too.

From my view point at the window, my back yard is as busy as it is in downtown Milwaukee on a week day. When the wind blows, leaves flutter down, birds fly through, but mostly it is the insect life that is so great.

The wren took off and is back on his post on the tomato stake but for once he is quiet. This is very unusual for him.

We have an oak tree in the front yard so from time to time we see squirrels in this area of the back yard. For many years, we haven't seen chipmunks but we do have them back with their striped coats this year. Years ago we had a lot of chipmunks and they liked to re-pot some of my flower pots on the patio. I kind'a missed them but I am happy to see them back again.

I sure hope this wren knows what it is doing while it preens itself on the post as a large dark bird just flew overhead.

We do have ravens in the area. One time I watched three ravens take on a mother rabbit. They were as big as she was and they put her in the center of their triangle. One would advance and she would go to fend off that advance when one of the others would move into steal one of her babies. She didn't have a chance. She lost all of her babies that year.

What is it that they say, "life is a jungle." We think that means in the office/work place or maybe in the wilderness or woods but the jungle is in our
backyards.

If we are really truthful, we will realize that the jungle is right here, inside of us too. We are always trying to find ways to survive, to do the right thing, to stay on top of life.

Enjoy what is in your life today.