My Birthday Presents - Sparrows and Finches

Song Sparrow

As you may know, Monday was my birthday. Many of you sent to me birthday greetings, each one of which was a thrill. Thank you! My day could not have been more perfect. My darling husband served to me breakfast in bed. Our marriage is in the mature phase where we don't have to give any gifts to one another other than attention and a day of no expectations of the other. Both of my wonderful children called me and gave to me the greatest gifts of their time, thoughtfulness and love. They like me, too. To hear their voices is like seeing flowers open or birds singing in the woods for the first time in spring. Hear how sappy I'm getting with my advancing age? Deal with it. I went to lunch with one of my dearest buddies. She and I have known each other longer than we've known our own children. We've been through marriages and divorces. We've also hurt one another's feelings a couple of times really hard. But, we've patched it up and carried on. That's a bond not unlike having children. We sat on her deck drinking wine with the sun on our backs and talked for a couple hours about absolutely nothing. While we did, these little birds showed up to sing to me "Happy Birthday." I'm sure of it. 

Chipping Sparrow

House finches, female and male. Don't they know? "No line is safe to touch, ev'ah!"

                                   Dave Wright. CMP lineman