Last full day. Parker got off his 24-hour shift with four hours sleep (total). His way of dealing is to stay up and sleep hard the next night, and we rode out to see Hoag’s pond. So peaceful. The water brims with an abundance of aquatic plants and rushes. There’s a soft rustle of wind through the leaves. A trio of ducks on the pond plish-plash, tails up and beak down. It\u2019s a gentler kinder version of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have not missed the grind of construction, the constant growl of leafblowers, or the din of traffic that Atlanta serves up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
En route to lunch, Parker guided us to a protected nesting site for the great blue herons. Humans are safely sequestered at a distance that does not disturb the bird. It took me a minute, (blame it on cataracts) but once I saw the first giant nest, I kept finding more. The herons construct their nests high in the trees. It reminded me of a crow’s nest at the top of a ship’s mast. The herons swooped through the sky on the regular, with wingspans so wide I could see them even with my limited vision. Bringing back lunch from the nestlings, one hopes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n