Nature's miracles

One of the things I've worried about over the entire winter was that my tiny little water feature in the back yard had been covered with snow since late November.

There was one thaw, when the bubbler was strong enough to send enough air through and make a small hole. Little did I realize that wasn't important.

Here you can see my seven gold fish which I bought last summer. They are still alive, in some sort of semi-stasis, dormant state I guess...fish hibernation? I don't know what it's called, not being a biologist, or is that fishologist? But delighted is what I can be called since a few days ago. Particularly yesterday when I took this photograph.

They aren't eating. I was told not to feed them since they won't eat and the food would just give us hurtful gases as it deteriorated. All they need is well aerated, clean water. So no food for fishies.

But food for my every-hopeful soul indeed. Whodathunkit? Water barely 18 inches deep and about three or four feet across. Goodness knows what kind of detritus is in the bottom, enough I hope for the six or so frogs that insisted on hanging about to bury themselves in. But seven little fish still alive after the winter we had. It's enough to make you believe in miracles.

So on that note, let's hope for miracles in Japan - that poor troubled nation, all its people, animals and the waters in and around it. And hope for the miracle of peace and democratic regimes in the other trouble spots around the world. Here's to miracles.

They can happen on big and small scales. We just need to believe and work towards helping them happen.