I walked down a wooded path to a shady spot along the lake’s edge where I occasionally observe ducks and different species of birds. This time, much to my surprise, a river otter surfaced and I was able to watch for a brief time as it hunted and munched on prey that it pulled from the shallow lakebed.
It seemed to be aware of my presence, pausing several times to glance in my direction before resuming its hunt.
There was something special about this quiet little connection with nature. For me, getting outdoors and spending time with the created and the Creator offers a peaceful escape from the chaos and unpredictability of the world around us.
“When the news of the day upsets me, I pause and worship the eternal God who is never surprised or caught unprepared. This keeps me from fretting and getting discouraged, and it helps to keep life in balance. ~Warren Wiersbe
walking on a country road 
That reconnection you talk about Rebecca is because we came from there…..but have wandered.
We definitely need to get back to nature more.
Getting into nature has always been a refuge for me too.
There’s nothing like the beauty of God’s creation.
A wonderful encounter, such a busy gal/guy! Nature grounds us like nothing else. 💕
It really was, Eliza. I’m not sure which of us was more surprised. 🙂
This was quite a busy little River Otter – all that movement in the water. I’ve never been lucky enough to see a River Otter, but a few years ago, (2022, I just looked it up), some people were at Belle Isle, a park along the Detroit River and spotted River Otters in the river. This caused quite a stir and it was all over the local news because River Otters have been absent here for 100 years, so it meant the water was cleaner. Your last paragraph and quotation are spot-on Rebecca. I am missing my trips to the Park very much but the weather is too dangerously cold, icy and snowy to get there. The walk and interacting with the squirrels resets my day and is a brief escape for the mind.
Thanks, Linda. This is the second time that I’ve seen one this year, but this one was so busy diving for food that it continued on about its business, and I was able to observe. I’m glad to hear that their numbers are increasing there. They are interesting little critters. Sadly, I know in the past that they have been heavily hunted. The weather is definitely putting a damper on being able to get out in nature. We’re going to be hunkering down for the next few days until this big winter storm and frigid temperatures pass. I can’t even imagine what it feels like further north. Spring is looking awful good. 🙂
I didn’t realize they were hunted which helps reduce their population as well. I follow a few animal sites and someone was raising a baby otter that they found and they could not find its mother. It was the cutest thing. I have heard about your big storm and thought of you as the national news mentioned a lot of ice for your state. I always remember the pictures of the trees at Reelfoot Lake after an ice storm and some damage to them. I hope you stay safe. Our advisory for the bitter cold begins at 1:00 a.m. Friday through 10:00 a.m. Saturday, with “real feel” temps to -20 to -25 and air temps way below zero too. It will remain really cold after that until February. Yes, Spring seems so far away – I can hardly wait!