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Hope for better times ahead
Three guesses as to what this is? It’s not a kitty hairball. It’s not a photo of my hair in the morning. Okay. You guessed it. It’s an up-close photo of a bird’s nest found on the ground at a local park by a friend. This little nest gives me hope for the future. If a tiny bird can have the innate intelligence and the patience of Job to find specific materials and build such a beautiful, sturdy nest that survives beyond several seasons, I can learn a few lessons from these crafty creatures. I imagine it can take days for the bird to first find a safe spot, and…
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CTST: Hummingbirds are such sweet visitors!
Celebrate the Small Things: Our hummingbird friends are back! We have a pair of hummingbirds that come and dine with us each year but with the busy, hot summer, I was remiss in putting their feeder out. I was in the kitchen working on my computer last weekend and one of them “dropped by” to let me know! It’s hilarious and sweet! They hover with their helicopter wings and look me right in the eye (or so it seems). And, while they are polite, they are also persistent. So, I ran to the garage, got the feeder, mixed up the food and placed it, with suction cup, on my window.…
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CTST: Baby birds and new life
Celebrate the Small Things: New life in nature reminds us of God’s care for all creation. This week I’m celebrating the new life of these baby barn swallows. They are the second brood of the season. I marvel over the intricate design of the nest that the birds built outside the building where I work. It takes commitment from both parents to make such a sturdy family home with mud pellets, sticks, grass and other plant fibers, working through natural elements (rain, wind, heat, humidity) to create the nest. They even sometimes battle humans whose first instinct is to remove the nests so they don’t make a mess outside the doorways.…
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A to Z Challenge: “W”inter ornaments
We’re well into spring and it’s wonderful to open up my window while I’m getting ready for work in the morning. I feel the cool air, smell the budding plants and hear the beautiful songs and communication between the birds. It’s just about the best music around. I ran across these photos of how beautiful birds are, even in winter, when everything else is asleep and regenerating. Even though it must be freezing out and quality food and water are scarce, the birds still appear on the stark, bare branches of the trees and brighten my day. It makes me even more grateful for birds. No only are they beautiful…
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Simply for the birds
Having moved from a Denver townhome to a small-town Indiana house with almost an acre of land, it was imperative that my husband, Joe, and I have a bird feeder so we could become avid bird watchers. And, what’s a new home without a pigeon poo christening? Bird feeders were also automatic cat entertainment so it seemed like a no-brainer. I trotted off to Menards, our local hardware emporium, and browsed through the bird feeders only to find cute, country-painted bird feeders shaped like southern plantations, quaint cabins and rustic lighthouses. However, they also would require almost daily filling. I then passed by the ultimate in bird feeders – the…
