Connections

Instead of a pot of gold, the sun on the ocean looked like a pot of silver. It was striking to say the least as it shot through the clouds like a laser beam.

The riches were not just the silver on the ocean though. I saw that the Least Terns had returned with their darling faces and uniquely raucous calls. These little birds are on the endangered list and I'm always thrilled to see them each spring. See "Terns Return" in April 2009 for photos. I also came across two Yellow-Crowned Night Herons absent from the beach since last fall. I wrote about these unique and stealthy birds in the post called "Bird or Cat" back in May 2009.

My beach walk would have been complete with just that but there were also several of the beach regulars I hadn't seen all winter. Strange that we don't know each other by name but always ready with a friendly wave, a smile or cheerful good morning. All this gave me a feeling of connectedness (is that really a word?) with the world around me. When you add in the visit a few days ago from a cousin I hadn't seen or been in contact with for over 50 years and the photos of other long forgotten family members... well, connected is just too mild a word. I felt at home, complete and completely filled up with being an integral part of the universe. What a day!