Saturday, June 30, 2012

Squatters' Rights

Mother Nature continues to teach. This morning, her dual lessons were about perseverance and patience... the first for the birds and the latter for me.

You've seen our gorgeous front portico, one of my favorite features of The Old Homestead. Our babies, nieces and grands have all napped there. Joe and I have shared many a meaningful conversation and I've read tons of books, all in this tranquil space. I've often added to the wreath, made from tree branches native to our property. Joe lovingly surprised me with the ginormous ferns, for Mother's Day. Consider almost forty-one years of history.

The nest has been atop our wreath for about a decade, empty after its initial use. I've been asked, "Did you place it there?" The answer is, "No!" I don't even know which species is responsible for its construction. 

Over the last few days, we've noticed a pair of Robins landing first in a fern and then heading for the nest. At first, we thought they were deconstructing the habitat. Silly us. We should have realized that the long strands of straw we found nearby were to repair the abode. And so, they just took up residence. I'm hoping they're the couple who had some poor luck, in our backyard. Perseverance.

At sunrise this morning, I perched myself on the farthest chair, camera pointed towards the nest. I listened. I heard Cardinals singing... seriously, Neil should hire them for back-up. I heard a nearby shrub rustling with movement. My arm was cramping... but then, patience prevailed. Please enjoy the rewards of my morning.