Savoring Spring

This has been the longest spring I've experienced in a while. Spring in Ohio could mean snow or frost, and then immediately jumps to humidity. Flowers have been blooming here in South Carolina for more than a month. Dogwood trees line the streets around town. Every day I wake up and praise God for yet another beautiful day, a beautiful season. It amazes me that so much fresh growth can come from such a cold, grey, dark season. For so long we see the trees and ground the same, yet in spring, trees are growing new leaves daily. I wonder why God doesn't give us these blooms year round, but just like anything precious, we wouldn't appreciate it as much if we saw it all the time, or experienced it all the time.

I witnessed 20 minutes of heaven this evening. Inside Oconee State Park in South Carolina, where I live, there is a fox den. A mama and two pups live about 100 yards off the road. I took an evening stroll with my camera, and when I was driving out of the park, I stopped in my car to see if the foxes were out. And they were. It was beautiful. I have always thought that if I ever had the choice of being an animal, I would be a red fox. They're so exotic, mysterious, and have red hair, of course. I sat in my car and attempted to take a photo--the shot you see here. Too far away for anything good. But if i wanted to watch, I had to stay in my car. She would tell them to hide if I got out of the car. I made use of my binoculars that I carry in my camera bag and saw how a fox family lives until it was too dark to watch any more. Mama sat on a log, constantly keeping watch, and the pups jumped around from their back feet to their front feet like rabbits, playing in the leaves and chasing each other. I thank God for her and their protection. What a wonderful time of the year.