Sightings...

This will probably be a theme for sometime until the "newness" of our home in CT has worn off. We urbanites aren't used to so many close encounters with the wild. I actually kind of feel bad about it...my girls think it's really cool to see a chipmunk or a squirrel in the backyard. Once, after a hard rain fall, I actually became afraid the squirrels were taking over. They started coming out of everywhere it seemed...it was like some sort of sci-fi thriller. I actually had anxiety that I was so outnumbered. What if they were building a city under my deck? What if they started infiltrating my home? It was momentary, but very real. Anyway, I've decided to keep a record of the sightings we've had. Raccoons (1), skunk (1), squirrels (thousands), dead mice (2), live mice (1), tree frog (1, in the house!), possum (1), wild turkey (1), deer (10, at least), unidentified furry, long snouted creature (1). We haven't seen a bear yet, but the word is on the street that we've got one in the 'hood. Here's to hoping we don't have any close encounters with that one! We miss the cost of living in Texas, but we are thoroughly enjoying this jaunt so far. A couple of things we enjoy about the NE: it cools off in the evening, every time I turn around something new is blooming in our yard I didn't know was there, wide open spaces, reconnecting with the outdoors (duh!). I took the girls to the park this afternoon, and I actually lost track of time while watching the girls chase birds, play tag, pass a ball back and forth, and otherwise find their sense of independence at a guarded distance from me. It was thrilling to see their joy in such simple pleasures. Having spent the last 5 years of my marriage in the south, I had forgotten how lovely summer evenings can be. The cool air, the breezes... I remember playing imagined up games with friends outside until the sun went down. My girls have never known that pleasure because you just can't bear to be outside that long in Texas. It is nice to rediscover summer as I once knew it, and see it through my children's eyes.