Through the four seasons of each year, from winter 2007 until spring 2012, I documented in this blog (as an amateur naturalist and photographer) the natural life in and around the small pond in the photo above. Life circumstances had brought me to a home near the pond and life circumstances caused me to leave my home near the pond.

All the posts on this site were written in real time. It was a joy to study the pond and to learn from it – not just about nature but life lessons as well.

(Since I have hundreds of photos from the pond, taken over the years I lived near it, I may sometimes post here, for the joy of revisiting a place I loved. If I do, I’ll make note that they are old photos.)

The picture above was taken on one of my last excursions at the pond in late spring 2012. Until that day, I’d only walked around the pond or across it on one or two occasions when it was well frozen. It was amazing to paddle on the water and see turtles, large and small, and fish pass below me. The pond is very shallow in most places so I was able to study the surface of the floor of the pond, too.

I consider this post the last official post of this blog. Thank you to all who have visited and to those of you who have commented!

Mary McAvoy