The Strider

Trail Wood #75 Earl Plato
Two weeks into April at Trail Wood. Edwin Teale stood by his pond. We read: “ Under my eyes as I stand here in the woods beside this placid pool, close to the spot where I saw the gray squirrels race through the treetops, I glimpse something new, something rarely seen, something I cannot recall ever having observed before. On the surface film of the pool eight long-legged water striders skate about or rest quiescent at a time. A moment ago there were nine. Just s my eyes focused on this ninth insect I saw it unfurl little wings and become airborne. No longer did it ride on the invisible surface film. Instead it rode on something far different but just as indiscernible, the invisible air. Where it went I cannot say. In an almost instantaneous action it took wing…”