They say that life is just a collection of moments. Of course there are the grand ones: your wedding day, holding your newborn child in your arms, attending your child’s graduation from college. But there are subtler moments, pauses in the day, quiet times of meditation, or simply appreciation for just the miracle of life itself. Walden had his pond, Jefferson his Popular forrest, Issac Newton his Apple tree, I have my humble lakeside backyard. .
I’ve spent years attempting to grow shrubs and plants to create a habitat for birds and wildlife. Not much will grow in my red piedmont clay soil but what does sprout often gets chewed up by the wandering deer that come at dusk. In spite of many failures and wasting lots of hard earned money I’ve managed to fill out my sloping yard with some successes that provide food and shelter for a variety of birds. I keep a list of birds I have seen since living here and my list has grown to 75 species. That merited and inspired me to register my backyard with the National Wildlife Association. Along with registration comes a neat sign declaring your recognition which I placed at my dock for boaters to see when passing by. Actually the wildlife recognition program is just a way to get $50 out of you for a good cause,
I have a porch swing that hangs from under my overhead porch which is a lovey resting place for me to sit and plot my next planting or my next perch to create an opportunity for my bird photography. I enjoy photographing birds. I feed the birds to attract them to my yard however nothing says amateur photographer than taking a picture of a bird sitting on a feeder. I’ve learned through my You-Tube education that if you place a variety of interesting perches near your bird feeders, the birds will use the perches as a waiting space while another bird is on the feeder. Birds spend their day feeding, resting and keeping an eye out for predators like the neighborhood cat or a hungry hawk. For this reason it's best to place your perches near a shrub or brush pile that the birds can scurry too when they sense danger is afoot.
So back to the pleasure of being absorbed in a moment. As early evening unwinds and the sun gets lower in the sky, tonight is a beautiful evening in the back yard. One hour before sunset is referred to the golden hour for good reason. There is a warm golden glow on all the surroundings and tonight it is as good as it gets. A bluebird pair has been nesting in the bird hotel I made as an interest feature in my backyard. Truth be told I had an inspiration after one of Julie’s and my England trips as we sat in an English garden with a lovely birdhouse on a post. I had to have one. My bluebird couple is busy taking turns minding the nest and flying out to get a juicy bug to bring to their brood. The iridescent blue tree swallows are chasing each other over the lake collecting insects for their babies. Their turns and swoops include a circle through my yard helping to clear out the tiny gnats and no-see-ums that gather near the tree foliage. The hummingbirds are back from their winter in Mexico and they have returned to my yard to see if the feeder is full with fresh sugar water. I see one hummer on a high twig of a tree taking a brief rest and gathering up strength for the next buzz around the yard.
This year the house wrens are back and they are cleaning out the wren bottle which hangs on the side of my porch overhead. One is cleaning out last year’s nest while the other is bringing fresh material for a new home to raise their young. The wrens seem to enjoy a perch that is an old antique rake I purchased at a yard sale. The wren sits on the tines of the rake and sings his heart out as if to declare “this is my perch, my home and no body else can use it”. Along with all the competing bird chatter, the song sparrow, gets the vocal award for best soprano with the widest range of vocalizations. The song sparrow is just over my head, not shy at all, in the grape arbor that grows under my porch. Later in the summer the birds will have a feast picking the grapes off the vines. The busiest of all tonight is the tufted titmouse. He is flying to the feeder and grabbing a seed and then off to a perch to hold the seed between his toes and peck at it to get the soft center inside. The nuthatch is curiously walking upside down on the oak tree. He comes straight down the tree pecking at bugs that are in the creases on top of the tree bark. The Red Bellied woodpecker with his squawking call climbs up the tree picking the bugs off the bottom of the bark. Together they are the perfect team to clean off the tree of insects.
The grey Catbird is hoping on the patio in front of me speaking his characteristic “meow” that gives him his name. I can hear Watson, our house cat, mewing in return from inside the screened in porch. The spirea bushes which I planted several years ago are going into full bloom and to my delight they are attracting a whole host of pollinators. The honeybees are working the flowers getting in their last haul of nectar before the end of their busy day..
Just as the sun is beginning to set over the tree line in front of me a beautiful red cardinal appears on one of my perches as he waits to jump on the platform feeder where I have placed some sunflower seeds, His red color against the green forest background is a beautiful contrast of red/green which is the perfect complement on the artist's color wheel.
Tonight was a moment. A moment to just pause and absorb. A moment of peace to let wash over you and calm your soul. Like the wren’s with their nesting ritual in my Williamsburg ceramic bottle… the old nesting material is discarded allowing a fresh start to begin the tasks necessary for a new day.
