Morning in the Garden of Good and Evil

I will start my story by telling you about a loud bang that brought me out of a deep sleep this morning. As it only partially woke me up I went back to sleep, but only to be disturbed by another loud bang a few minutes later.  As I lay there coming to, I started thinking...what were those noises? They didn't sound like any of those noises I knew--you know, the ones you get used to after 18 years of living in one place.

So as the imagination goes, the more I searched that check list in my mind, the more I convinced myself that this noise was totally unique.  It didn't qualify as my husband closing the basement door, it didn't qualify as the cat jumping off the counter, and it wasn't a bird hitting the window.  It actually sounded like someone breaking into our basement!  So just because it is possible that someone could break into our house, not because it was probable, I got up and slowly looked out the windows, then started creeping around the house to investigate. As I got out to the living room I heard another sound, and started to get a bit scared....well, you how it goes!  And I thought about all the bad possibilities that could be associated with these strange noises.

But as I entered the kitchen, out the window was a sight to see!  Around fifty Robins were bathing in the waterfall.  Not only were there so many Robins (screaming spring in my face) there were a couple Cedar Waxwings and Bluebirds.  My two favorite birds!  In an instant my world was transformed from one of foreboding to one full of all-good-things. Was God telling me the world is a loving place?

You can see the Cedar Waxwings on the left.

Thinking on it, I realized a Robin had probably never hit our window before; they don't come to the bird feeder.  And they just make a louder sound than smaller birds I guess.  It's sad to think about, but in the pandemonium of all those birds competing for the water, a couple had flown into the glass making my evil noises. But I think they were OK; I did not see any casualties on the ground.

I took a few pictures through the window and screen, fearful that I might scare them away.  I think they could see me, and I never got one with all of them there. And now I am waiting to see if the Cedar Waxwings will flock en mass to take their turn at the waterfall.  Just about every year during the transition of the seasons they stop by.  And boy that is a sight to see.  They are beautiful birds!  As many as 100 have crowded the waterfall at a time. I will try to get pictures, but that is not the easiest thing to do.  Birds do fly away.  (But I promise, it's not like the fish that got away!)

Oh, Spring.  You will return!