Babes at play June 29, 2026 325 words

On the eve of the longest day, a small fawn was born in our little woods. She followed her mother to a neighbor’s yard as the sun set. Bathing the couple with golden light. I named the little one, Solstice.
Last evening, an old tom turkey spent a half hour preening, fluffing, and spreading his wings. After the entertainment, I found six more feathers that had been discarded for new growth.
Later, there were four young turkeys playing chase in our backyard. They would stop to get a drink and nibble the sunflowers before continuing the chase. They were beardless.
Squirrels come each morning to stare into the kitchen slider to see movement, hoping for several peanuts in the shell. Yesterday, a small squirrel was seen at the feeding area learning the ropes from his mother.
We hung a hummingbird feeder and a Vervena plant close by. As many as 4 birds have vied for the nectar at one time. The baby birds are no larger than a bumblebee, with a similar sound.
Birds are plentiful. Hummingbirds, an adult and young one, visit the feeder several times a day. Oreos snack on speared orange slices on a wire. Chipmunks bide their time to get close to the feeder. All in preparation for the Strawberry Moon, the first full moon of summer.
Mother nature is in full bloom and taking advantage of the longer hours of daylight.
*** poem
Under the Strawberry Moon
The sultry night masks the evening activity.
A raccoon family scurries across the stone wall to stand in the pool for a drink.
A skunk stops to sample a seed before continuing on his prowl.
A fawn waits, hidden in the tall grasses for his mother’s return, still as a statue.
Others rest in burrows and nests for the first light of dawn to start their foraging,
accompanying a cricket’s chorus.
The moon smiles on them all.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 6/29/26