Into the Woods with Curio: Summer Sun

“Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun”

(Ecclesiastes 11:7)

One early morning this August we witnessed a family of turkeys sunning themselves on an embankment near our house. They settled themselves into an open area, fluffed out their feathers and then went into some strange contortions to expose their skin to the warming rays of the summer sun. It was funny to watch, though the turkeys had a good reason for their unusual behaviour. They were doing this to rid themselves of unwanted mites and other parasites on their skin. But they also seemed to be just relaxing in the warmth of the summer sun.

All year long Canadians eagerly await the summer season, looking forward to the warm weather, and ‘catching some rays’. Part of each camp day includes a scheduled time at the waterfront, including sunning on the dock. The animals at camp also look forward to the summer season, and soaking up some sun. Water snakes sun themselves on the dock at the waterfront, though hopefully leave once campers arrive. They do this to help them with their digestion, because they are ‘cold-blooded’, so need the warmth of the sun on their scaly skin to help their body function properly. The same is true of turtles. They warm their shells by climbing onto exposed logs in the shallows along the lakeshore on a sunny day, though fall off into the water at your approach.

Look around in these same shallows and you’ll see small fish ‘fry’ – young fish – also enjoying the sun’s warmth, even under the water. They do this for the same reason as the turtles and snakes. Because they are so small it is especially important for them, and also to be safe from larger, predatory fish.

Other animals at camp also enjoy basking in the summer sun. Just like the turkeys we saw, you can see sparrows taking dust baths and sun bathing. Some birds sit on an exposed perch to dry themselves and preen after taking a dip in a puddle or bathing along the lakeshore. Squirrels stretch out on a branch or even on a deck railing to get some sun, foxes lie out on a rocky outcrop to sunbathe, and even the butterflies in the Dining room’s garden bask in the sun’s warming rays while nectaring at the flowers.

Be sure take time to enjoy the warm summer sun at camp, while it is here, (though we do need to be careful to avoid a sunburn).

And be sure to absorb God’s word while at camp, soaking up the life-giving rays of the Son Himself. It is very healthy for us, spiritually, and can even help us get rid of some unwanted ‘pests’, figuratively speaking. And we can do it all year long.