Report From An Opinionated Gardener – January 24
A flock of bluebirds has decided that my backyard is the place to be right now. From 7 AM to 5 PM they’re on the birdfeeder, perched on the arbor near the suet or sipping water from the birdbath. They’re probably staying close because it’s very cold and the shelled sunflower seeds, suet and water are life sustaining.
Whatever keeps them around, I’m loving their presence. The combination of their blue backs and red breasts is beautiful (complimentary colors!) and because their company is transitory they are even more prized. I can provide shelled sunflowers, suet and a heated birdbath, but I can can’t make them come.
Watching the bluebirds flit from feeder to tree, from arbor to birdbath, I remind myself that there are many areas of life where we can do everything right and still not get the desired results. The time, effort and yearning that’s put into a goal or project doesn’t guarantee a favorable outcome.
And yet…
And yet, if the seed and water wasn’t out there, this delightful bird would not have come. If we don’t make the effort to attract what we want, we shouldn’t be surprised when it doesn’t flock to us.
The electric heater keeps this water source from freezing even when the temperatures drop to zero, as they did last night.
The bluebirds stay puffed up to insulate their bodies from the cold, and they perch on my grape arbor to be near the seed and in the sun.
