The Turtle and the WeeFolk
Some days you know are different. Days when the world does not seem the same as the day before. A day when we are at peace and remember childlike wonder. Where we can enjoy nature and the amazing world all around us. A day when we see things often overlooked by grownups.
Today I'll talk of one such day many years ago.
It was early fall in Maine. What is very special about this time is the flurry of tourists have left. The locals, including the wildlife, get to enjoy peace and quiet for a few days while the warm weather holds on for just a little bit more. All the animals come out of hiding and enjoy what is surely a true Indian Summer. I ventured out as well to enjoy the peaceful morning. With anticipation I set my kayak in the water and set forth wondering what I may find today. The water was totally still. There were no boats and no wind at all to rustle up waves. Houses, trees, everything around reflected perfectly upside down on the mirror lake. It was a childlike upside down fun day for sure. A day filled with wonder.
I paddled up the lake to a cove I often enjoyed in summer. A place where turtles loved to sun bathe on the logs. If you're lucky one may find dragonflies or pretty mushrooms hiding on the shore. When I got there I found just one turtle on the favorite log. I drifted closer hoping for a photo before it would leap into the water. Turtles spook easy and almost never let us get close. On this day though it didn't move. It just stayed in place as I slowly drifted closer and closer. A magical peaceful day for sure.
The turtle let me drift in a boat's length away. We both cherished the stillness and peace of the morning. As I enjoyed the moment I began to notice something unusual. There were very bright white bugs? I had never seen them before. They showed up even in the shadows like they were glowing. They were small yet really stood out. I snapped a couple photos as I watched them very slowly move about.
I stayed for a while enjoying the peace with my new friends. I watched as the white glowing bugs roamed mostly right here. I didn't see them anyplace else. They wanted to stay near the turtle it seemed. Like they were sharing space, hanging out together on this magical still day. As I watched I wondered. Perhaps they were secretly whispering to each other. A language shared by turtles and curious glowing bugs. My mind roamed in childlike wonder again. I remembered the times when tiny and magical things were all around us to be enjoyed. A time of peace and harmony. Very much like this still morning on the lake.
I slowly turned to leave them to their peace and see what other wonders the lake would share. I said thank you to everyone for sharing their place with me. I paddled very slowly on the mirrored water as I made my way back home. My kayak was the only thing making gentle waves on the lake. If I was still enough the waves would get smaller as they flowed away and soon disappeared on the calm water. I played with gentle paddle strokes to see how little waves I could make. Could I travel and not leave any wake? Like nobody but me and a turtle and glowing bugs would know I was there. The trees and shore line continued their mirrored dance on the water. The two inseparable in the peace and quiet. A magical day for sure.
When I got home I took a moment to look at the photos to see if they were any good. Did I capture the perfect mirror of the shore on the water? That's when the true magic of the day came forth. What in the world were these bright white things around the turtle? They have long legs and arms. Not like insects. They looked more like winged people. Glowing very tiny winged people. I of course sat bewildered. Had I captured a photo of Fairies, the Fae, the WeeFolk so many have talked about? Well I'm not sure what I saw. I spend nearly every day on the water and I had never had a turtle allow me to drift close. They jump in the water as soon as they see us. And I had never seen these white roaming glowing tiny figures on the lake. This day was unique day for sure with it's mirror finish on the water. A day shared by few. Me and these glowing ones in the still cove.
People say the fae folk come in many sizes from medium to tiny. I know of people who see them often in many forms they say. They have looked and said yep that's them. For me this was something new. A chance meeting on a very calm and enchanting morning. If there was ever a perfect surreal day to see uncommon things this was surely be the day. The day all of nature ventured out of their hiding places to enjoy the totally still lake. Everyone in peace on these last few days of summer warmth.
I thank all who shared this magical day. Super Natural some may say. I personally think all of nature is Super, so perhaps I will simply say.... there are surely more things out there than we can imagine.
And sometimes some of us, when we find our peace and wonder, get to see more.