As the sun rose behind me

The wind started to pick up

Rippling what had just been a perfectly still

Calm expanse of water

Four Mallards suddenly put on their air breaks

And with a huff, landed in the water beside me

Two future fathers with teal heads

And their lovely wives whose true colors were exposed

When they preened beneath their wings

The two couples swam up to me quack, quack, quacking

Hoping for some crumbs I did not have

A grey heron flew overhead

Cawing as he beat his long wings in slow motion

To get across the lake to the other shore

The Osprey high, high up in the sky

Circled round searching out a morning meal

Then three giant bass exploded out from under a submerged log

I was so happy to see them there

Safely tucked away along the shore in a tight cove

I smiled to myself

Falling back in love

With me

And my life

With casualness I strolled back up to the house with my dog

The cats greeted us at the screen door with yowls

“Where ya been? Whattcha doing? Whatcha got?” type meows

And I knew

My life was good

I had won after all