Went out to check if nightingale around st Broadstreet Common, no song in evidence. Decided to go to my sit spot before knowing whether a nightingale would show. Thought I’d use sensio divina too to aid my commune.
The sun had already set but due to the amount of light left, the log was well lit and the pond was shown up to me in a new light as I’d never been in the evening.
I sat watching, waiting and tuning in as best I could with the traffic still loud in the background. The first thing that came to my attention were two, then one bat. A couple more later came out; I say that as the latter two seemed larger and flew in a straight line. One of the first ones (I felt it was the same one) stayed around and nearby doing circuits, in front and behind me as well as passing over my head, quite low.
The sky was blue and a thin crescent moon showed clearly with a bright planet (or space station) up to the left 10-15cm away and a tiny star (?) closer underneath. The shapes of the trees were silouetted underneath. A few contrails and light cirrus was in evidence also.
Turning back to the front where the pond was I considered why I hadn’t felt the bats like in the past and wondered whether it was due to my increasing age or different species of bats!
Two ducks flew over and landed in a poplar opposite, high up, which immediately begged the question did I imagine they were ducks? They were the size of a small pigeon. Looking through my binoculars they appeared to have glowing crescent head markings. There was one croaking sound then silence. I looked away and witnessed a mallard male fly in and suddenly out of nowhere were the two ducks from the tree. Weird, I was looking at the tree or half looking and I didn’t see them leave. A pair of pale geese flew over calling mildly. There was a plosh and the mandarin males as that’s what they were disappeared – a big ripple eminating from the pond?
As it got darker there were fishy noises. I began in retrospect to feel priveleged being with nature. Whilst still there I had a phrase the abiding presence come into my mind. This was a very clear set of words. I had it again whilst looking at the fringing trees. I pondered the words and thought how this presence was God’s and that His presence wasn’t just out there in what I looked at but He was also in me and with me. I believe it came out of being with nature. Nature is just there, although different over time I am only able to see that in my generation. God has been around much longer as have the recurring natural patterns. It reminds me as I write of the verse that spoke to me from Sunday’s readings at church. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. Ps 121v5.
Nothing blinding in all of the above musings but does it have to be – I do need to see where I’m going!
Oh and as a footnote I met a fox at pretty much the same place, on the same path on Broadstreet common as yesterday afternoon! I want to get to a point where they are not startled by me. Today’s was a big one with blackened back fur and the shape and fatness was like yesterday’s but I couldn’t say for sure whether they were the same. The fact that it was in roughly the same place coming towards me makes me wonder about a sign?! But what?