Last time I posted something it was early fall. Now it is a New Year, and my whole family has the day off, and we are watching cardinals in a snowstorm. It is nice to get an unplanned day off from school and work. For the kids it means a day to play inside, and out in the snow. For me, it is a day to shovel snow. In the back of my mind there is also the looming knowledge of the work I should be doing “at work.”
I love watching birds. Even my common friends I find at the birdfeeder. The cheeky little chickadee, and the beautiful red cardinal. We have a rather unruly lilac tree in our back yard. I am sure at least one of my neighbors would like me to trim it back, and at times in the summer I think they might be right. Yet, each winter, when it is filled with cardinals in a snowstorm, I vow to never touch it. Sometimes we will have five or 6 pairs, sticking out in all of their glory. It will also be ordained with the color of House finches, and occasionally Purple finches. Even if they are not as flashy; Tufted titmouse, Dark-eyed junco, and Chickadee are wonderful to watch.
This little snippet of nature in my backyard brightens up my day. It helps push back the burden of my adult responsibilities, and lets me enjoy the day more like my children. The birds are a small present in my life, and I thank them for the joy they bring me in these cold days.
