She had always been drawn to the wonders of nature and now in the midst of healing from brain cancer she found the delights and wonders of God's amazing world that much more fascinating. Now that she was relishing in the beauty of the summer months at their lake house in southern Ontario, there was much to share and rejoice.
They had always had a fascination for the loons, that intriguing water bird that resides on the northern lakes. The first time, back in 1969, when she first heard the loon call she was startled by the mournful, unique sound echoing across the lake. Ever since then the loon songs stirred a thrill within her heart.
Every year since 1992, they had built a loon platform out of sapling logs, covered with heavy black plastic mesh, strewn with dried heavy straw roped down to keep it from blowing away and anchored it in their back bay. This provided the loons with a safe, secure nesting site, protected from predators (like raccoons who would eat the eggs) and discourteous fishermen who could scare the loon off the nest. For years they had listened to the quiet cooing during the nesting period of the pair of loons. The loons patiently sat and waited about 28 days during hot sunny days and cold rainy nights for the chicks to hatch. They had watched as the pair of loons would give each other a break off the nest. Since the loon is a powerful swimmer the loon's legs are to the rear. Thus the loon has a great deal of difficulty walking on land. The nests, therefore, are close to the water and the loon must waddle onto the nest with great effort.
Then that glorious moment on a summer day in late June, a babble of loon sounds would alert them to the happy event of first one chick, then another chick pecking its way out of the brown shell to be alive! The mommy loon would wait for the second birth, then the adult pair would swim away from the nest, with the baby loons secure on their backs, constantly cooing and softly clucking with joy at their accomplishment. The loon family would then abandon the nest and swim to another nearby isolated bay in order to teach the chicks how to catch fish and to protect them from danger. She always marveled that in a few days the loon family would swim past their beach or cabin and sound their loon call as if proudly showing off their new chicks. The loons almost showed human characteristics as they daily swam in front of their cabin, chicks on their backs or close by, fearless of human presence.
Unfortunately, this year the loon platform was submerged from the mud and debris piled on by the muskrat. Dick was not able to build a new platform in time, so as the nesting season approached they waited to see what the loons would do. Then one day they realized one loon was seen quietly swimming back and forth across the entrance to the back bay. And they heard an occasional loon call from the far end of the back bay. Then they saw a loon sitting on part of an old board surrounded by vegetation and immersed in lily pads far in the back bay. The loon was screened by the bushes and saplings on the shore but they could see her and watch her day after day as they counted the days to hatching. They were overjoyed! They hadn't done a thing, yet the loons found a safe and secure nesting site all by themselves!
The time for hatching is any day now. We will keep you posted.
Someone was watching out for the loons. Indeed, the Creator has a plan and purpose for all His creatures. Why do we worry? Why do we doubt? He cares for the loons, so He definitely cares for me.
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" Matthew 6: 25-27
