I went out into my backyard early this morning, hoping to get a picture of some sparrows I’d spied from my kitchen window. They were hopping around the remnants of last year’s garden, busy gathering bits of dried stalks and stems for their nest. Even though I sat quietly on a garden bench to get a closer look, the sparrows proved to be wary of me and would not return as long as they had me for an audience.
I was thinking about Earth Day, and how the image of an optimistic pair of birds planning for their future family seemed the perfect way to commemorate today. The fact that they would not cooperate makes me happy in a way. These birds were simply doing what birds do in the spring. Carrying on with ensuring future generations of their species. Not creating photo ops for me.
I know it sounds like an over simplification, but I want to think that there will always be birds building nests, and enough trees and clean open sky for them to exist in. Yes, my family and I recycle. Walk or ride our bikes when possible. We do what we can for the planet, and I’m sure the birds would be thanks us if they could. But our yard and garden, without any deliberate planning on our part, has become a haven for not only various birds, but a host of insects too-and the occasional skunk or squirrel who happen to find it. Reusable shopping bags are wonderful, but these creatures need a place to call home.
So today, instead of trying to get my bird picture, I will tend my garden. While I’m working I will admire my rhubarb-now 3 feet tall, and also plant some burning bush seedlings that were set out in someone’s driveway-marked with that most beloved of words:
FREE
And that, my dear readers, will be the subject of a whole other post.
Happy Earth Day!
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The picture of the burning bush was sourced from the net.
Quite incredible--the rhubarb!
ReplyDeleteHappy Earth Day, Valerie--I love your way of spending the day :-)
I can't believe your rhubarb has grown so much! Wow!
ReplyDeleteEarth Day is one of my favorite holidays - I just love it :-)
What a very cute and candid account of your nest-building birds. I especially like the part about you not minding about their lack of posing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rhubarb, I've never seen any before and had no idea it was such a gorgeous red. It should make one tasty pie!
We have a giant maple tree in the yard that is always producing little saplings around the yard, most of which never make it. I've been letting a few mature and we replanted three of the baby maples (about a foot tall)for earth day. We'll see how they do.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dawn! I still can't believe I'm as successful with my rhubarb as I am. It wasn't always that way:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! I'm hoping your rhubarb is a smashing success too!
Tracy-thank you! I was so fascinated with those birds, and how much they could hold in their beaks!
Tina-planting trees is such a wonderful thing to do! We have several huge maple trees in our yard, and I'm grateful to whomever planted them:) They must be close to 100 years old!