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Tonight I'm sitting on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay enjoying the view. My location is a small fishing village, Fishing Creek, on Hoopers Island. The bluish-gray waters of the Chesapeake glisten in the bright sun. Across the way I see the silhouettes of trees, standing tall on a small island in the bay. Like my backyard in Alexandria, it's quiet, but it's a different kind of quiet. There's the occasional passing car, more traffic than I would have figured on, there's the humming of a a/c unit, but mostly the sounds I hear are of birds.

The cardinals are the loudest, as they sit perched in a nearby tree trying to draw the attention of their own kind. Herons soar through the skies above without a sound as newborn rabbits scurry about in the late afternoon sun. The sun is setting, slowly at first and then with purpose as the daylight hours draw to a close.

It is peaceful. I am content.