Mespelbrunn

Memories and dreams: a foggy haze with snippets of clarity forms my earliest memories. The spots of light include: Grandma’s house, playing doctor when Mom was pregnant with my baby brother, Daisy Girl Scouts, Kokomo (by the Beach Boys) playing in the background of my gymnastic class, flying, moving, and castles.

Mespelbrunn—I remember her with greater clarity than many things before I was seven, perhaps because I went there so often. Mespelbrunn is a castle in Germany (Dad was military and we lived in Germany for three years). I remember a worn dirt path leading to a wooden bridge that crossed the castle moat, but what I remember most is not the castle stones, exquisite stain glass, or the rich furnishings. What is most clearly illuminated in my mind is a dirty little bush at the bend of the dirt path nestled near the moat, or more specifically, what was in the bush.

The crest of Mespelbrunn is a noble swain which is prominently displayed throughout the castle. And that is what I found in that insignificant bush—a swain. She was sitting on a pile of sticks and feathers as her mate hovered protectively near.

The nest was vacant when I returned to Mespelbrunn and the swain couple was gliding across the moat followed by little grey puffs that swam with an eager awkwardness, trying to mimic their parents. I remember my delight with clarity even though other events of my life remain covered in impenetrable fog.