A Moving Meditation Life on a Cape Cod Kettle Pond

About this book

Cape Cod, a peninsula in Massachusetts, is known for its beaches, throngs of summer visitors, and the activities that accompany seaside living, but it is also home to several kettle ponds, which offer a more tranquil setting. Formed from glaciers breaking apart and so named due to a rounded shape that appears like a kettle, these waterways are home to a diverse array of wildlife, while remaining peaceful and even a bit hidden.

Big enough for a canoeist to feel solitude and serenity, small enough to not appear on large-scale maps, Centerville's Long Pond (one of seven on the Cape that share this name), consists of fifty-one acres of crystal clear waters, fresh air, and the fish, turtles, waterfowl, muskrats, and otters that call this special place home. In A Moving Meditation, Stephen G. Waller offers an intimate look at the pond's intriguing natural and human history; its abundant animal life, across the seasons; and the encroaching effects of climate change.

Contents

Preface
1. Geology: Created in a Single Moment 
2. Aquifer: Water Level Theater 
3. Herring Run: Highway for an Epic Migration 
4. Counting Herring: Come and Go 
5. Springtime: Awakening and Blooming 
6. Vegetation: Climax, Invasive, and Endangered 
7. Water Quality: A Legacy of Casual Behavior 
8. Ice: Through Thick and Thin 
9. Fair Winds and Following Seas: Moving Meditation 
10. Paddling: The Value of Pure Quiet 
11. Canada Geese: Honking and Pooping 
12. Bird Life: Endless Activity 
13. Otters and Muskrats: Erratic Fellows 
14. Fish and Turtles: Year-Round Swimmers 
15. Salt Water: Exotic Habitat  
16. Trash and Externalities: The Long View
Notes 

Customer Reviews

Biography

Stephen G. Waller, a retired ophthalmologist and Air Force officer, is now a medical school professor and freelance writer based in Centerville, Massachusetts.