I left the house to get some coffee and just couldn’t come right back. It was one of those days. I decided to drive up to Cedarcrest and sit in the parking lot for a while. The lot
overlooks an open grassy area bordered by a forest that extends up a hill as far as the eye can see.
Since stopping there was not in the plan, I had neither walking shoes nor reading material. I just pulled out the binoculars and hoped for a stray bird or two to come while I listened to the Classical music station on the car radio.
There is very large dead tree that sits by itself in the middle of the open grassy
area. On occasion a bird will stop there long enough to get a good look at it.
First there was the orange breast of a Robin shining in the sun at the very top of the tree. Not too long after the Robin flew off, a Goldfinch arrived in another spot on the tree. It was not the usual blindingly bright summer yellow. It was somewhat muted, but still
yellow enough be identifiable. That bird left and not too long after another bird arrived. After looking long enough I determined that it was an Eastern Bluebird.
I’m not sure if the birds have agreed to come to that tree only one species at a time, but after the Bluebird left another blue bird arrived. This time the blue was not the blue of a
Bluebird. The blue was a different shade, with darker wings. Unlike an Eastern Bluebird it was blue all over. It became clear that it was an Indigo Bunting. Although they are not rare, I have seen very few of them in my lifetime.
The Bunting left and a red bird took its turn on the tree. At first I assumed that red meant Northern Cardinal. The bird didn’t have a crest. It had a longer and thinner beak than a
cardinal, as well as being a different shade of red. Its wings were also a little darker. It dawned on me that it was a Scarlet Tanager. Again, they are not rare, but I
think it is only the second one I have seen in my life.
Later, on a different tree, a Northern Cardinal showed himself. I marvel at the colors that fill the natural world. Flowers and birds and butterflies, the leaves on the trees in the fall, sunrises and sunsets, even the dry grasses and weeds during the winter time of dormancy, all provide shades of color, sometimes bright, sometimes muted, sometimes together with other colors no designer would put next to one another. Colors are a gift. The One who ultimately brought this ball of dirt on which we live into being didn’t really need to do that.
The parade of colors flying to and from that tree helped the day.
The day picked up with a couple of conversations with folks at PT’s and then at Sheridan’s. Yes you read it right. I had cereal and hummus, an apple, leftover
crockpot veggies and beef and some strawberries for my regular three meals. I needed a decadent treat tonight and a chocolate Concrete with pecans filled that need.
The day ended with my booking the flight from London to Munich as part of the September itinerary. Daughter Lisa booked her trip ticket (includes Spain with Husband Denis), and Son Micah booked over the weekend. I need to get the ticket from
the US booked yet, and then we will move on to lodging and other details.
Who could have imagined this?
The Call to Live 