Like a house of cards

Looks kind of like a house of cards, huh? If you removed one stick, they would all fall down.

We are deep into the 'dog days of summer' here in eastern NC. This week, the highs have ranged from 91 to 97 degrees. And don't even ask about the humidity. Even I have decided to take shelter in the middle of the day. In fact, I was so freaking lazy, wiped out from the heat, that I read in the house yesterday afternoon (instead of going to the beach, reading on the screened porch, etc, etc). So, during dinner last night, the husband suggested going kayaking (also referred to in our house as 'yakking') today. He wanted to make sure our 'neighbors' (i.e. the osprey pair) were still shacking up down the canal. I looked at him for a few beats and said, "You are talking about doing this before the sun comes up, right?" Because, even without the sun, the 'low' temperature has hovered in the upper 70's. He responded in the affirmative. Fine with me. I can't sleep late anyway . . . something about getting older.

This morning: Alarm at 6:30 AM, bed made by 6:40 AM and on the water by 7:10 AM. By 7:20 AM, we'd already seen a beaver, our 'neighbors' and three deer! By 7:35 AM, we'd run across what I thought was a HUGE dead turtle floating in the water. Kid you not, damn thing had a head the size of my fist and a tail almost as long as Ginger's. DJ tapped at it with his paddle and the monstrosity moved! Holy cow! That thing was sleeping. By 8:00 AM, we'd run across a second osprey nest and barely missed getting pelted with bird shit from a very aggressive, territorial Daddy osprey. I guess it was male. Momma osprey was still in the nest serving as the second line of defense against us curious 'yakkers.' Shortly thereafter, a beautiful blue heron idled by on his majestic wings.

While leisurely paddling home, I thought about all the beauty we had observed. The coastal environment is like an onion. There are so many layers to observe and appreciate. And, although we weren't in a traditional house of worship this Sunday morning, we were certainly in the presence of God. And I gave thanks.

Meet some of our neighbors

Alright, I can't take credit for this picture. But, I was soooo excited to tell you about our 'neighbors'! So, I just did an internet search for a visual to accompany this entry.

The husband and I went for a kayak trip yesterday afternoon. Just a short trip to explore the marsh near the house. On Saturday, we had been told by neighbors that there was an osprey nest in the marsh near the intersection of our backyard canal and the Trent River. Well, we paddled and looked, paddled and looked and finally saw a big bird. Yes, it was an osprey and it was out hunting. We paddled in circles watching the bird hover and dive for fish.

Compared with the little bird that feed off our feeders, these osprey are HUGE! Although osprey only stand 20 to 24 inches high, they have an average wingspan of five to six feet. Yes, feet.

After awhile, we headed back to the house and that's when we saw it; the nest. There it was, perilously perched at the very top of a dead tree. Compiled of lots of twigs and branches, it looked like it could be knocked over with a strong wind (something we encountered on the way home).

Next time out, I'll take the camera and try to take a picture of our 'neighbors.'