The Community of All Beings
One of the joys of working at Mercy by the Sea is the staff’s appreciation of the creatures with whom we share the grounds. There’s "Ralphie," the woodchuck, who birthed two little ones this summer; a lean fox that makes frequent appearances; chipmunks; and rabbits, who graze in the courtyard outside our offices.
Let’s not forget the seagull who likes to sit on our assistant cook Adam's car; Harriet, the hawk; the bald-headed cardinal who turned up this year; and a host of crows, gulls, ospreys, sparrows, mourning doves and robins. One of our volunteer gardeners, Bob Bartusiak, recently put up bird feeders which are attracting imperial red cardinals, stunning gold finches, chickadees and squirrels, whose antics mesmerize us. Daily we’re entertained by two tenacious squirrels – one male, the other female – who hang upside by their claws while munching on black sunflower seeds.