(April 14, 15, 2010) For three days, now, the emergency services of this community have banded together while searching for a five year old boy who fell out of a boat into the river near the Dan Daniel Park. Now the underwater search has been called off, and there weren't as many rescue vehicles at the river this morning as there have been during the past few days.
This activity has had an impact upon our English setter, Sadie. After her walk on Tuesday morning, when the activity there was at its height, Sadie seemed to notice there was sadness in the air. She came home after her walk, didn't want to eat anything, and lay around the house, not being the active 4 year old she usually is. She had cheered up, somewhat, by evening. Things were different.
On Wednesday morning we were walking near the site and saw a couple heading down towards the cordoned off area. I asked them if they were related to the young man, and they said no, but they were best friends of the parents. I told them I was sorry about the young boy. The lady commented what a pretty dog Sadie is and put her hand out to her. Sadie, who usually goes ballistic when she hears someone call her name, calmly stood up on her hind legs, embraced the lady's wrist with her two paws and lay her head down on the back of the lady's hand. Sadie stayed like that for several minutes. Things were different.
Last night (Wednesday) I took Sadie to Angler's Park near dark. As we walked around the field there, I couldn't help but think of all the activity that had gone on there during the weekend rugby tournament - now it was completely silent. Even the red-winged blackbirds had ceased their rrrrnnnnnnnggggg mating call; even the chirping frogs had ceased their irritating chirping, even the parking lot had ceased its sound of people talking. As we looked out over the near dark marsh, where we often see mallards, Canada geese, and killdeer, there was a silouette of a large prehistoric looking bird standing in the water. It was, of course, a great heron, something I had never seen in recent times at Angler's Park. This was nothing extraordinary, nothing unusual, nothing that had significance at all - it was just different.
As were were approaching the woods to return to my car this morning, I saw a swallow perched on the branch of a tree. I turned to take some pictures and had also noticed that there was a young woman jogging in my direction and my friend John, and another regular walking coming up behind her at about a 20 yard distance. I shot some pictures of the bird and heard the lady pass. After taking a few more shots, I walked toward the woods. When I passed John, I said, "John. I must be getting old. I preferred to take a picture of the bird in the tree and not even noticed the young lady running." He said, without missing a beat, "David. You're not getting old ----- You ARE old." Things were different.
In life things change, but there are the constants that we all hang on to. There is the love of family, the sounds of birds chirping, and the beauty of the river even after a tragic event has taken place in its turbulent waters.
And there are two other constants: There will always be robins and it will always be another great day on the Riverwalk.
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