My World at the Moment

My world at the moment consists of walking with a cane and resting often. I spend most of my time in bed or a chair, yet I still must see the birds. This morning I woke around 7:30 a.m to watch the birds gathering at my Mother's backyard feeders. It is another gray day here. I see the slate sky foggy and soft over the vacant lot behind her house. Almost all the trees have leafed out, but a few are still in the budding stage. I wish I knew what species they were.

The cardinals seem to be the first birds to come to the feeder in the morning, along the robins, catbirds, and house sparrows. Last night at dusk the chimney swifts flew, batlike and chattering over the rooftops. I wanted to join their flight! This afternoon I went outside with my mother and we cleaned out her fountain and got it running again for the year. It looks like and old millstone and I love to sit by the thing at her table and watch birds. Now that she has moved one of her feeders to the backyard this will be even easier. Along with the gray squirrels who live abundantly in her yard there is also a very chubby and well fed woodchuck that lives under the garage. I saw him yesterday and again later on in the afternoon. He looks like a fat and pokey old man, though he could be a girl I suppose.

We get the fountain clean and full and sit down in our chairs to relax. I have my books and bins around me and am ready for a pleasant afternoon when suddenly a few drops of rain start to fall. I look above at the dark woolly sky and hope it is only a brief shower, but then the heavens open wide and dump their swollen waters down on us. We grab our things and bolt for the house as fast as we can. Soon I hear rumbles of thunder. This now becomes a perfect day for a cup of tea and a good book. I am currently reading Bernd Heinrich's A Year in the Maine Woods. Soon I am lost in the forest with deer and ravens and snow. Soon I am lulled to sleep by the rain. Not a bad way to spend my day after all, but I do want to get out and see some more birds!

All of this turmoil and confinement has inspired me to write more poetry, so if you are interested, stop by Kathie's Poet Tree and take a peek!