My corner of the world

I haven't seen the world, haven't been to the great cities of Europe, in fact I've only been out of the country once.
I've only been to 14 of the 50 states, living in four of them. But I was born in Texas, and after all the exploring; trips out west, north, east and south, Texas is where I plan to spend the days that are left. Back to the part of Texas of my youth, south Texas, the coast. All our days are numbered as I sit on my porch on a lazy summer morning listening to the summer tanager and wood thrush, watching the moist clouds slipping from southwest to northeast, hearing a bird I don't recognize. What will become of them if there are not resting places on the gulf to allow them renewal from their long journey-will they simply be absent, will I be able to bear the silence? The dog and cat lay near me seemingly enjoying the cool still bearable summer morning.
There is so much nature around me to take in, just off my porch the hummingbirds find nectar in the salvia, the butterflies finding a liking to the lantana and butterfly weed.
The young pine trees, all nine I planted two years ago, are growing vigorously thanks to a rainy summer and despite the scars from the young buck deer intent on losing their velvet, does it itch, I wonder?
The lots around me are vacant and free to do as they please, hickory, oak, persimmon, pine, most young, as this was once a meadow. Yucca and blue jack oak attesting to the dry sandy soil. Walking in the mornings going up and down the small hills the species change with the terrain, post oak,red oak, hickory, black oak, pine higher. White oak, alder,maple, black willow, river birch lower and near the wetlands and seasonal creeks. Scattered throughout are dogwood, and sassafras, american beauty bush, farkleberry,persimmon, and yaupon, just to name a few.
I have, here from my own porch, seen eagles fly over in winter, and one morning walk, discovered a pair of black-bellied whistling ducks, somehow off track, possibly one was injured, the other staying close by. They lingered but a day, then were gone.
I sit here, in the northeast Texas pineywoods, like a woman who can't chose between two lovers, living equadistant from gulf of Mexico and the Buffalo River. This is a beautiful countryside, not yet developed. Peaceful and quiet on most days. It is a good here in my little corner of the world.