Every once in a while it is soothing to the soul to venture beyond the confines of our urban environment and get out into the countryside and observe Mother Nature at her work. Despite our presumed knowledge and sophistication, many times we ignorant city dwellers see simple things that pose questions for which we simply do not have ready answers.
As a perfect example of this, one day last summer I was hiking through the woods, and came at last to the edge of a small pond in the middle of a large meadow. The day was extremely hot and sultry and after refreshing myself with a quick drink from the pond, I decided to just rest there awhile and observe the natural environment around me.
It was a truly beautiful day and the first thing that struck me was the silence. There was not a breath of wind and the pond lay before me like a polished sheet of glass, and all I could hear at first was the sound of my own laboured breathing as I recovered from my exertions. As my breathing slowed and I enjoyed my relaxation, I gradually became aware of other sounds I had previously ignored.
First, it was the occasional call of wild songbirds, then the constant hum of millions of tiny insects as they went about their activities.
As I sat there, finally tuned into the magic of the place, I noticed that every once in a while the surface of the pond was disturbed by large bubbles of gas that rose from the bottom and then burst at the surface making an audible "Blup!!" sound and spreading a ring of ripples that ran across the pond. Again and again this happened as I pondered the phenomenon, Blup, Blup. Blup.
It really made me wonder,
"Do fish fart ???"
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