Izara’s Lazy Summer Days
Resting beneath her favorite tree, Izara and her dog Socks lay in the shade of the enormous branches wasting time. At least that's what everyone else thought of her favorite past time. Izara simply enjoyed listening to the soft babbling of the small creek that fed her tree. Her father had taught her that everything in nature is connected.
She knew that the tree drank the water from the creek. She remembered her father telling her that the shade from all of the trees kept the water cool in the hot summer sun and prevented the creek from getting to hot. Izara knew the various types of fish in the creek. She could identify them by their scientific names and their common names like the Gambusia or mosquito fish and the Fundulus or top minnows. She even knew bream, bass and crappie belonged to the larger family of sunfish called Centrarchidae.
She had watched and helped her father pull a seine in that very creek. He would then patiently show and explain all the differences to Izara to the point that she could often tell what type of fish she was looking at while it was swimming around the creek. Socks loves to sit at the edge of the creek and watch the fish and turtles swim around. She used to try to catch the fish or grab them out of the net when Izara and her father would capture and study them.
None of what she knows about the fish, that creek, her tree and nature in general really mattered to Izara. All she was concerned with was how she felt in those moments when she lay beneath her tree. Laying there in the shade feeling the cool summer breeze against her cheek along it’s journey to unknown parts of the world, she felt free. She would often close her eyes and imagine floating along the breeze in hopes that it would carry her to its final destination.
Often while she was lost in her imagination Socks would be at her side sleeping, off chasing grasshoppers or butterflies but occasionally she would wander down closer to the creek and stare at the fish. On this particularly bright and sunny day the sun’s rays were incredibly warm. Socks had over exerted herself chasing grasshoppers and decided to hop into the creek to cool off.
As she approached the creek she cautiously stepped down on to the small sand bar that had formed. This wasn’t your typical sand bar though. It had formed on top of the clay bottom on the creek and one wrong step would result in her paw going one way and the rest of her body going the other. As she cautiously made her way to where the sandbar gently sloped down into the deeper water she saw some movement in the corner of her eye.
Startled a bit she quickly turned to see what was there forgetting about how slippery the clay was. All of a sudden she was out of control. She did manage to keep from slipping and falling sideways off the sandbar into the creek but she couldn’t help sliding headfirst into the creek. As she hit the deeper part of the water she realized she could feel the creek-bed and quickly stood up and surveyed the scene. This wasn’t quite how Socks had planned on getting into the creek but here she was in the water cooling off.
She remembered that she had seen something and turned to look in the direction of whatever it was but nothing was there. A few moments before Izara had awakened from her nap just in time to see Socks disappear down the bank of the creek. She hadn’t worried because Socks had gone wading in Gordon’s Creek too many times to count. So she just lay there enjoying the lazy summer day.
Just then she heard a splash in the creek. She laughed to herself at how silly Socks can be around water. She remembered that even as a small puppy socks would often get excited and run around splashing in whatever water she could find. A few moments passed and Izara got up to go and check on Socks. As she stood up, Izara called out to Socks.
Upon hearing Izara calling for her, Socks turned and saw her emerging from the shade of the huge live oak tree. At the same time she heard a faint voice that seemed to come from the water at her side. “Hello.” someone said. Socks jumped 10 feet into the air did a flip in mid air and landed facing the direction that the voice came from. Before she landed she began to bark.
Izara was close enough now to see all of this take place. She began to laugh uncontrollably at Socks. “It’s just a turtle silly.” She said while pointing to a young of the year red ear slider as it swam as fast as it’s little feet could take it towards safety.
Confused at the absence of anything or anyone to bark at, Socks got quiet but continued to stare in the direction of the voice she heard. There was nothing, no movement, no one there and now even the turtle had disappeared.
“Hello. How are you?” It was that same voice but this time it was behind her. Socks quickly spun around as if she was trying to catch a thief but she saw no one. Still giggling out loud Izara asked “Socks what are you doing?” Socks knew it was pointless to answer because humans can’t understand dogs. So she turned her head to look at Izara and then turned back to focus on whatever it is that’s talking to her.
Socks wondered if Izara had heard the voice. After a few minutes Socks concluded that she must have imagined the entire thing. By this time Izara was sitting on the stream bank splashing her feet in the water. She checked her watch and realized that it was almost time for her father to return home. She knew he didn’t approve of her going so far from home by herself so she sprang to her feet, exclaiming to Socks, “We’ve gotta go girl. Dad will be home soon.”
With that Izara ran to the live oak grabbed her socks and shoes and began to run home with Socks right on her heels. They got home with just minutes to spare. As she opened the back door she called out “Hey Grandma! We’re back. Has dad called?”
Her Grandmother replied, “Yeah child. Your father called and said he is going to work late tonight.” “Again?” quipped Izara. “Hush child. You know your father don’t like working late but somebody gotta pay the bills around here. Go wash up. You smell like all outside. I need you to help me finish supper.”
“Yes ma’am”.
