A snippet of life in Michigan

Last evening a friend and I went to one of the local nature conservatories.  The weather was perfect for walking.  This summer has been unusually cool so far.  So much so that yesterday when I went home for lunch, I promptly changed into sweat pants.  But just for the lunch hour, of course.   

The setting was gorgeous and with all the rain we've been getting everything was green, green, green.  We saw a couple wild turkeys and had to watch our step at several points lest we trample the tiny frogs that were hopping about.  And it was quiet.  Blissfully devoid of traffic noise and sirens we frequently hear due to living next to the hospital.  The only sounds, besides our own conversation, were the many birds, the leaves rustling in the breeze, or the trickle of the streams. 

One of the trails cut through a big meadow and we saw this deer. We were pretty close and I was surprised she didn't run away. Apparently she decided we weren't too much of a threat, because she soon went back to eating.

The trail looped way around the field and on the return stretch we startled her (we were much closer this time) and she bounded away. But then she stopped, looked back at us, and started running straight toward us! (Rabid deer! Rabid deer!) Thankfully she veered off and plunged into a marshy area, causing two Sandhill cranes that were hidden in the tall grasses to take flight. It was an unexpected treat that added to the wonder of God's creation and beauty of the evening. 

Times like that always feel like a little gift from God. I imagine Him smiling and saying, "Hey, watch this."