I woke this morning listening to the somewhat unexpected sound of birds singing. It sounded much more like a midsummer morning than early winter, but the sun was out and the sky was blue and the birds were happy. I took Honor for her morning walk, each of us reveling in the bright, brisk morning. In addition to the shrieks of the local Blue Jays (not to be confused with the “Eep!” of the Western Scrub Jay I was so fond of back in California) I heard a big, bold-sounding bird call. I squinted up into the trees looking for it, half expecting to see a Cardinal, though I knew that wasn’t it. All I saw was a brief glimpse of a tiny little bird (tiny to have such a big voice.) And I determined that I have to figure out what it is. People who read this blog last summer might recall my quest to discover the identity of the shrieking bird that used to trill and shriek outside my window at five in the morning throughout most of the late spring and summer.
I am a bird aficionado, though I would not consider myself an avid birdwatcher. I do not know all the birds and their calls and migrating patterns and such, but I enjoy the bits that I do know and love listening to the songs and identifying the creature that’s singing them. Having moved across the country in the fall, I am anxious to learn more about the winter and spring birds in the area. One might consider birdwatching a strange thing to be writing about on Christmas night, and perhaps it is. But among the many things for which I am grateful on a regular basis, my love of nature and the fauna and flora that grace the world around us is high on the list.
Christmas day was a bit hectic what with food preparations and such. It felt like much of the late afternoon was spent preparing food, eating it, and cleaning up afterward. Once all the eating was done, there was little energy for much else, though we did make time for a Skype call with my brothers and their families all gathered at my one brother’s house. There was too much pandemonium on both ends to see or really hear very well who was talking to whom at any given time. But it was nice to see all the faces. I realized how much I missed the other half of the family, and my son, all the way back in San Francisco had to work last night and tonight and wouldn’t have all the good foods associated with our family Christmases. I probably missed him most.
Holidays, especially Christmas has been important in our family for my entire life. I am a soft-hearted romantic and deeply attached to my family. If it were up to me we’d be together for every Christmas no matter how old we get and how far apart we live. My dream has always been to have a big farm where all the family could gather (and live there if they wanted to…it was a really big farm) each year for Christmas. Perhaps some day. In the meantime, I am grateful for my little house with the bird feeders set up and ready to attract some new friends. May it be so!
