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There are many things in life, simple things, that can bring great pleasure to our lives. Personally I take great joy in the little things. I will do a dance around the kitchen when I finally find my missing car keys that were hidden under a pile of junk mail.
When I successfully remember to bring my grocery list and coupons to the supermarket, I smile to myself as I wheel the shopping cart around the store.
Recently I taught a sister-in-law how to play a game of gin rummy only to have her continuously beat my score. Even so, there was satisfaction in seeing her beaming with pride over her victories.
Nothing brings wider smiles to our faces than when the grandkids make us their own style of greeting cards for our birthdays and holidays. Our joy is renewed each time we glance at those drawings taking up treasured space on the fridge.
We often start our mornings with a special video greeting of granddaughter Hannah singing and dancing before she heads off to school. It's a beautiful way to believe all is right with the world, at least for that moment.
Now that our gardens are planted, bird feeders hung and lawn chairs poised on the driveway, we enjoy a nightly review of nature's show. (Out here in the country we tend to driveway sit rather than post up on the porch or a fancy deck.)
The Baltimore Orioles are more beautiful than ever this year as they feast on the grape jelly we have provided for them. The hummingbirds do not disappoint either. They swoop and dive at one another as they vie for a space at the feeder. I use more sugar in the summer than any other time of the year making their sweet nectar.
A suet feeder has become a favorite eatery for several red-headed woodpeckers who chatter away before hitting their meal target. Only one blue jay has been bold enough to try and outwit the woodpeckers. He has not been successful to date.
This idyllic scene was disturbed two nights in a row by a masked bandit. A young raccoon managed to climb a nearby garden fence, jump onto the jelly feeder and turn it upside down. I'm not sure if this same intruder also ran off with one of the hummingbird feeders, but it was gone the other morning. A check of the yard provided no clues.
We have taken some calculated measures to prevent a repeat raccoon issue. As I write this column, the young rascal appeared in the yard, watching as we secured the feeders against another nighttime invasion.
Despite the clash with nature, there is no better simple pleasure this time of year than seeing, hearing and watching what Mother Nature has provided. I hope you can find your simple pleasures, too.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.