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What, you thought you'd find that Madonna? The Material Girl?
Fortunately, I've never been mistaken for the celebrity. I'm a few years older. Okay, more than a few years.
And I never wear a metal bra. In Florida's heat and humidity?
Because of our name association, we do share
space on search engines. You'll find my writing credits interspersed with her music, books, and offers to enter the bawdy
side of life. Due to her lifestyle, my book, Swinging Sisters, has popped up on porn sites. Anyone
buying my book from those sites is in for a surprise. The subject of Swinging Sisters is far
removed from what it might suggest.
So, you're wondering about Worlud Pond. Or maybe not. At any rate, here's the
deal: My husband and I live in a house with a pond in the backyard, a pond with no name. Our young granddaughter, Grace, pronounces
the word "world" as worlud. In her honor, we call our water view Worlud Pond.
When asked how to get
to Worlud Pond, Grace explained, "Oh, you just go to Africa and turn left and then park and there you are."
Here on the pond we've seen rainbows
arch the width; spectacular sunrises, full amber moons that glow like lanterns in the dark; twilight's palette of a half
dozen shades of green that Crayola hasn't yet named; palm fronds reflected in the mirror; easy rain dimple the water;
brisk wind churn the current into frenzied ripples; dappled sunshine creating a cracked ice effect; leaping fish break the
placid surface and descend, leaving bubbling circles in their wake; fairies dancing at dawn on mist-shrouded lily pads;
a bale of thirty-some turtles swimming, and a great blue heron, silent as a watercolor painting, a ghostly sentinel in the
marsh, its beak poised like a spear, waiting....
Snappy the gator reigns, but lethargic turtles doze nearby and
birds saunter around undaunted by the reptilian presence. Commencing in May and running through October, a hallelujah
frog chorus shatters the night from about ten p.m. until one a.m. It's like nothing I've heard before
and I've not found words to describe the sound; you must hear it to believe it. On a recent visit, Grace discovered a
baby alligator in the pond. She named it Flower Linnet (her middle name).
The bird list so far includes:
great blue heron, lesser heron, night heron (my favorite), white egret, ibis, limpkin, gallinule, Florida mallard, whistling
wood duck, anhinga, wood stork, sandhill crane, hawks, buzzards, hoot owl, and Mister Nasty (a grizzled great blue heron).
Away from the pond but in the neighborhood, I spotted a bobcat dashing across the parkway. And we've seen otters
at one site.
If you find yourself at Worlud Pond, please stroll around. Watch out for Snappy
the Gator. He often comes ashore to bask in the sun. He might look like he's sleeping, but he can't be trusted. He's contemplating
his next meal.
Contact me at Iowagirl1@aol.com
| GRACE AND SARAH RIDING GATOR |
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