Beneath the Surface...

I love the contrast reprented by these photographs. As the seasons come and go, Chi-Chi and Muffy are consistently drawn to this corner of our property. We initially created this tiny body of water with visions of good old fashioned pond hockey in mind. As much as the boys might enjoy a practice or game at the "real rink", nothing quite compares to the hours they spent with their Daddy on this ice surface - racing back and forth on growing legs, perfecting their shots (and saves) and breathing in the crisp fresh air. Although we experienced a mild winter, we took advantage of any opportunity to lace up our skates and revel in the joy of our own backyard rink.

Now that spring has sprung, our tiny pond has become a treasure trove of opportunity for learning and discovery. When one takes the time to simply sit and quietly observe, the diversity of life in this "over sized mud puddle" is absolutely mind boggling.

This evening we ventured down to the pond to check for frog eggs. We were not disappointed and discovered three large gelatinous clumps. Each of us settled into our own thoughts and space as we absorbed all the sights and activities below the surface of the water. I overheard Chi-Chi beckoning me to come quickly as he had made a very, VERY interesting discovery that he described as a teeny-tiny bunch of woven grass. I was skeptical, but I meandered over. I was fascinated by what he had discovered, which looked to be a tiny "log cabin" fashioned out of twigs and grasses. Inside this cabin, a larva or nymph of sorts was poking in and out. Back in the house, a quick Internet search revealed that he had indeed found the larva of the caddis fly. The larva of the caddis fly builds this protective covering around it's body out of debris. It spends it's lifecyle inside the case, until it finally emerges as the adult caddis fly. How fascinating is that! Seriosuly, I'm not as much of a bug lover as these boys of mine, but this is very cool!

I'm expecting endless hours of exploration and discovery in our little pond over the coming months. Who knows what other discoveries await us beneath those murky waters.

They boys spent so much time down there last summer, Mama even had time to park herself down with a lawn chair and novel....which she actually got to finish! I may have been eaten alive by mosquitos and deer flies....but the quiet contentment of my children was worth the pain and suffering