Tranquility Pond

At the campground we stayed at this summer, we were parked right across from a small pond that I’ve named Tranquility. I loved to sit outside and watch the activity at the pond. We had various visitors – hundreds of Canadian geese, a Great Blue Heron, an American Bittern, bullfrogs, and the latest spotting, I think, was a muskrat.
During the mating season of the bull frogs, their calls were so loud that we could hear them even with our windows shut. These frogs were huge, larger than the size of Jim’s hand. If I walked around the pond I’d hear a loud, “ker-plunk” as they jumped in the water ahead of my footsteps.

One day while sitting outside reading, I was rewarded with a Great Blue Heron landing at the pond. I happened to have my camera next to me and was able to get a shot of it landing. He took long, slow steps as if he were sneaking up on someone or something as he walked around the pond searching for food.

I know that Canadian geese are a nuisance and messy, but I truly enjoyed them. I’d hear their loud honking and peek out of the trailer to spy how many were visiting the pond that morning. It wasn’t unusual to have over a hundred at one time. I liked when the geese in the pond honked to the geese flying overhead. I wondered what they were saying. “Hey, how are you?” or “Get the heck outta here! This is OUR spot!”

Many of our neighbors in the campground worked, so I had the pond all to myself. One day I was lying on my stomach trying to get a close up of a feather nestled in the grass. I heard a far away voice call out, "Hello? Are you alright?" A woman was walking around the campground, saw me sprawled out on the grass, and thought something had happened to me! I sheepishly rolled over and held up my camera. "Ah!" she said and continued on her way.

I hope we get this same spot next time we come to this campground. I can easily see my moo-cows out my door, plus the lovely geese, and hope to have the bull frogs lull us to sleep.