I grew up in a part of town that had so many hills that there was truly no direction to go in and not encounter one. With those hills came lots of trees. Springdale's hills made me feel like I was up on a perch with a bird's eye view of the valley. The view brought breathtaking mornings because it sat above the fog, so I could see fluffy stuff listlessly puddling all along the lower lying areas. Similarly, at the end of the day, I always felt lucky to be able to watch as the sun slowly faded behind the hill-filled horizon.
Springdale had an assortment of regular visitors from nature. Always lots of birds--the typical robins, cardinals and blue jays. (I can't forget the infamous crows and pigeons here but will subject them to a parenthetical; all too willing creatures of garbage night.) There were also plenty of sightings of deer, raccoons, bunnies and the occasional groundhog. My mom has always entertained a very large family of squirrels. Their home, the aptly named "Nuthouse," in an old tree is always bustling when we gather as a family for cookouts. In fact, the family has expanded so much, it's now like its own circus, with various generations entertaining us with their high wire acts along the power and phone lines. This ever-expanding family has brought a hawk or two to my parent's yard on occasion, but I was never present.
My new neighborhood is literally a 5 minute drive from Springdale, but it is nestled in one of the wandering crooks of Wheeling Creek (affectionately referred to as Big Wheeling Creek locally). Wheeling Creek is part of the Ohio and Mississippi River watersheds and about 25 miles in length (or that's what Wikipedia tells me). I have been amazed at the change in ecosystem for one large and many small reasons. There is almost nowhere in Wheeling one can go at this point and not see deer wandering about. Over the past 4 months, I've witnessed one lonely doe. What I've seen here that I rarely or never saw before include toads, frogs, an increased number of groundhogs, ducks, geese and perhaps my favorite--the blue heron. There are also many more earthworms here--to the point that when it had rained one night, I was out by my garden and could hear them tunneling through the dirt just like they were doing laps in a pool! Also, in the old neighborhood, there would be the unfortunate occurrence of roadkill from time-to-time, and it would almost always be a poor defenseless squirrel. Here? Tucker and I walk the streets and find that many toads and frogs meet the same unfortunate end. I would have never considered the playful, hopping creatures as roadkill until I saw it for myself. As we walk, we also get to hear a lot of ducks and geese calling out as they fly overhead. I love it.
This experience is only eclipsed in the rankings of enjoyment by one other thing: the blue heron sightings. (I have myself convinced that it's the same blue heron every time I see it, but I have no way of knowing that.) There is an access point to the creek one block over, and it's a place we pass daily on our morning walk. So, when we wandered over and witnessed the heron there for the first time, it was in the process of catching a fish and flying off to who knows where. This bird's wingspan was incredible and the colors that became visible with its outstretched wings were just as much so. Now, each morning that we have the great pleasure of seeing it, I still gasp with excitement--and most times, it's simply standing there, just as it is in the picture above.
So life on the creek has proven interesting, and taught me that no matter how far I go, there will always be some new living something to entertain. Fun!
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