Nature Celebrates Canada Day

At about 10:30 on the evening of July 1, the Squire and I settled ourselves in the sun room to enjoy the Canada Day fireworks display which is almost perfectly visible through the southeast windows of that room.

High above the trees still faintly silhouetted against the last light rode a bright orange, rounded full moon. The almost eerie effect was due to the smoke in the air wafted our way from forest fires burning in Saskatchewan. It was such a beautiful orb shining so brightly and soon laced over by the finest branches as it moved calmly on its appointed course. This is beautiful enough on its own to warrant sitting here for a while, I thought.

No sooner was the thought complete than half a dozen twinkling fireflies made their appearance, flitting erratically through the shrubs, trees, and grasses in the marshy hollow directly below our sun room. At one point fifteen or twenty of them danced their way through the shadows in varying patterns at different heights. Mother Nature is pulling out all the stops, I suggested to the Squire, perhaps she decided to take advantage of our attention and provide her own show for us.

And then the fireworks - beautiful, colourful, and impressive as always. The sky was lit with every colour under the rainbow in exploding blossoms of light. Some dazzled just below the moon; others were even "over the moon." I enjoyed every sparkling moment, as I always do.

 And when the fireworks were finished, when human beings had done all they could to light up the night ... the orange moon sailed serenely on her way and the fireflies still blinked their cheery celebration.

Mother Nature: 10             Humans: 1