Portia and Magpie

Eight months ago I moved. Not far. Twenty-five miles, one county to another. Suburban to country. Congested roads after 3 PM, parking lots jammed with shoppers on weekends, road work and school buses and folks in too much of a hurry clogging my psyche.

I attended both high school and grad school in the city, the quality of the schools, not the raucous subways and police rushing to havoc, drawing me. I lived 41 years in the same suburban house that was only two miles from where I was born. I was seeking a place with open spaces and bigger skies.

After eight months of searching, I found it.

Across from me now is a large pond, with fields and trees beyond. The sky is panoramic, unfettered by buildings and utility lines. The traffic noises, at dawn and dusk, are Canadian geese, trumpeting as they follow mysterious roadways over the house.

Deer, fox, rabbits, and crazy ass insects I've never seen before are in abundance. And in the pond are two long time residents, Portia and Magpie. Portia is a 12 year old mute swan. Magpie is a black and white duck.

Portia's mate, Frick, was found dead recently. He disappeared from the pond two months ago. He was 17 and arthritic and possibly hurt when a hunter who had sneaked onto the pond, fired at some of the local mallards.

There is little that happens on the pond that I don't see. It's 24 hour live streaming, no WiFi needed. And what I've been seeing amazes me.

Magpie, who is all white with black wings, never leaves Portia's side. The pond is skimmed with ice now, but when the water was open, Magpie was always inches from Portia's back when she slid gracefully across the water. Magpie often leads the way up the bank to the feeder, built by the community. Magpie's no fool. Food spilled by Portia will be shared by Magpie and the other ducks.

When I asked about the strange little black and white duck, I was told that he/she crossed the road where there are fields and a stream at the bottom of the community eight years ago and has never left. Portia's wings are clipped. Magpie's are not. He/she can fly away at any time but never does.

A new male mute swan in on his way to join Portia. Hopefully they will connect and share many years together. I'm not too worried. Portia will continue to have the friend who has stayed with her during heat and cold, good times and bad, no questions asked.

Steinbeck wrote, "I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why." (Of Mice and Men)

Copyright (2018) by James Hugh Comey