Friday, June 14, 2013

Do not dare not to dare .






5:12 am. The cuckoo starts the morning chorus. The little wrens that nest in the wisteria by the front door join in . Bob and Sophie are quick to follow. A medley of yelps, whines, half swallowed barks, snorts , squeaks and drumming paws telling us that this is going to be the most wonderful of days.

The baker has burnt a batch of croissants. His wife comes out onto the pavement from behind the counter and produces half a dozen small pieces from her apron pocket. Bob and Sophie munch happily away. Bob has a look on his face that tells you that there is nothing to beat a bit of burnt croissant.

Home to find that one of the little wrens has fallen out if its nest. Bob, the gentlest of creatures, cocks his head and looks at it. Sophie, surprisingly, joins her brother in silent contemplation. The first dent in their innocence ? I pick the little thing up and carry it into the cherry orchard . Bob and Sophie follow on behind . A simple long forgotten line from a story read many, many years ago suddenly comes to mind :  '' A heart no bigger than an orange seed has ceased to beat ". A fitting epithet for this tiniest and most retiring of beings.

We fold the pool net and store it in the barn. This activity is a source of great delight.

14 comments:

rottrover said...

Another perfect day:-)

WFT Nobby said...

I think I can smell the burnt croissant.

Maxmom said...

They certainly have settled in well - into all of the blissful days it seems. :)
I am so happy about these two additions to your family.
(Again, apologies for my absence)

Kittypup said...

Munch... munch... gnaw!

Good old Sophie - our intrepid furry hunter snares her prey and retreats to her lair under the ...garden furniture! Animal natural instincts and human environment living in harmony :-)

Poor tree!

Have fun X

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Is Sophie seeing what it's like to be a beaver?

XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

Anonymous said...

' A heart no bigger than an orange seed ' - Sigh. What beautiful language. Thank you . Mary and Tiller. xxxx

VirginiaC said...

Sorry to hear about the little wren...I know you have given it a peaceful resting place.....loved the epithet too.
I'm with Bob, any kind of croissant is good for me.
What on earth is Sophie digging and eating from the base of the tree? At first I thought it was lichen/moss but then she is really digging in the dirt....are there snails, truffles under there?
How long did it take you to get the pool net away from Bob, he looks like the king of the castle sitting on it.

tammy j said...

your posts.
poetry and everyday living. the best balance in life. and a life with dogs.
you bring me great joy.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if you can get Sophie trained to be a truffle dog. Bob sitting so sweetly by the chair-who could resist going up and scruffling his ears?

Robin Larkspur said...

Ha, ha, Sophie is now trying to eat whole trees! Loved both those videos, accompanied by singing crickets. Poor little wren.

Whispering Walls said...

Poor Jenny Wren!

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

Poor wee wren. Bless them for being inquisitive yet gentle enough to know not to touch.

Louise said...

Bob, the gentlest of creatures. How beautiful to describe him that way, and it seems that Sophie, ever the playful inquisitive girl senses when those attributes are not appropriate.
I googled the powerful quote about the heart no bigger than an orange seed. The Hunters gets great reviews on amazon. It is a book I am sure I would not have chosen by myself (fighter pilots, not an interest) or even have come across (those are often the best kinds of books) and it is now on my list.

houndstooth said...

You know, watching the videos, I find it hard to believe that Bob and Sophie ever sleep! I'm sorry to hear about the little bird.