Oh, What a Glorious Morning!

The birds are barely singing this morning because they are lazily sleeping late. If not for the occasional chirp in the trees, one would not know birds were on the scene. This crisp sunny autumn day illuminates my backyard with a living glow. The green has begun to come back to the cheeks of nature dried out by the summer drought. The clouds have spilled just enough H₂O to wake up blades of grass and the leaves of bushes.  Still, Earth cries for more like a hungry baby wanting its mother's milk.

The summer heat wave sent most of us inside for the refrigerated air and caused us to swoon at the mere mention of work outdoors.  Today, however, is another day and the cool breezes are beaconing all humans to come outside.  While I desire to work outside the mellow sounds of the neighborhood are pushing me back to my chair to listen.

My two cat-kids, the older one female, the younger one male, are roaming outside amid the plants looking for an unaware lizard. I often find myself on a rescue mission of mercy to some poor lizard captured and set down in the unfamiliar surroundings of my home. Homer, the male hunter-cat, enjoys a good safari when the weather out is so tempting. Capturing an unsuspecting prey is great sport to him and he enjoys sharing the fruits of the hunt with his female counterpart, Baby. Although, one might think he kills his prey, it is my observation that he simply watches the chameleons as entertainment.  This morning, I glanced up from the monitor to observe both cats sitting, hunched down on the carpet, staring intently at the bathroom floor. It was in that moment I knew I had to do what has become routine in these situations. It was time to catch and release their live toy back to the wilds of my backyard. So, with napkin in hand I picked up the bewildered half green, half black reptile and set him free for another cat hunt at another time.

The loveliness, that is a mid-morning in suburbia, is delightful and carefree to those of us fortunate enough to be at home on a weekday where we can soak it in. One can sit and brush away the cares of finances, school loans, house maintenance and a laundry list of other such concerns including the household laundry. Silently, I type, read and sip coffee as the moving breeze carries distant sounds from a nearby schoolyard to the open patio door invading my statuary. Images of junior high boys suited in their school-issued shorts on a football field dance across the screen of my mind. Quickly, I return to my writing ignoring the interruption of the outside world of reality.

Oh, that this glorious morning could forever continue to be my days. Yet, it is not to be for soon I must be at the work of preparing used items for sale, sweeping my house, washing my clothes, feeding the people and animals that live here and finding my place in the outside workforce. Although, it is not with regret that I carry out my chores. I do them willingly because they are the tasks God gave me for today. Although, for now, I will drink in another sip of solitude like smooth chocolate sliding down my throat, warming the inner chill of brisk autumn mornings and I will be content in it.