Year of the Bird

The year of the bird continues for me in 2008. Besides the fact that a bird landed on my back while I was harvesting lavender a few weeks ago, creating a weird scratching sensation on my back, I have had close encounters with a nest of barn swallows that have made their home above Sarah and Rick's front door. It has been fun watching the momma and papa bird build the nest, sit on the eggs, feed the fledglings. And the loud, and quite demanding, chirping of the babies as the momma and papa spend all day catching insects and feeding the hungry mouths. It was a monumental day when the three surviving babies took their first flight, and I was there to witness it. Since that day the babies don't come back to the nest that often, but upon occasion I see three sets of beady eyes looking down at me as I am coming or going from the house. They remind me of 25 year olds that aren't ready to face the world quite yet. Still benefiting from their parents hard work.

Life is fascinating.