I don’t have a place where I write. Sometimes it’s at a desk, sometimes the couch, and sometimes I’ll just speak into my phone while I’m walking and clean things up later when I get to a computer.
This week, for whatever reason, I’ve been doing most of my writing sitting at my kitchen table. My kitchen table is, well, in my kitchen, and it sits in front of a large bay window overlooking my back yard.
It’s been interesting, looking out over these past few days, to see the same thing, and then again, to see something totally different each time I sit down. The butterfly bush is always there, but yesterday there was a wren, methodically walking the branches looking for insects too small for me to see.
The oak tree is there, but sometimes the squirrel is and sometimes it’s not. My dog is pretty good at letting me know when I can see it.
This being springtime in north Alabama, sometimes the sky is a beautiful blue, and sometimes it’s like it is today: a uniform light shade of grey stretching from horizon to horizon.
Today’s surprise was a northern cardinal. He was a stocky male, his plumage an impossibly bright orangish-red. He hit a branch on the bush hard, and instantly looked around to be sure of his surroundings.
Apparently feeling secure, he turned his gaze toward the center of the bush. While the previous day’s wren felt the need to walk the branches, today’s cardinal simply scanned them. Separated by a pane of glass that reflected the brighter outdoors, I was invisible to him as he sat just four or five feet from me, his dark eyes gazing out from above his stocky beak.
He landed, he scanned, and then he was gone.
I think I’ll get another cup of coffee and settle in, waiting to see what happens next.
Yet There is Method 
I like how you took a place – your kitchen table – and shared specifically all you see from there. I felt like I was there. I especially like your description of the birds. For me, I sit at my dining room table and watch the birds zoom in and eat from the bird feeder. I even got the binoculars out yesterday. I may study your slice as a mentor text. I’m not always so good at writing the details so the reader can “see” it. Thanks for being a good model! Enjoy your Alabama day today and I’ll do the same, here in Virginia.
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Thanks, Sally. I love the idea of binoculars and will have to go dig mine out. Today (Sunday) is gorgeous–the sun is shining and a breeze is blowing!
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One of the blessing of our new normal is time to notice what is happening around us! Enjoy the beauty in each day.
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Time is, indeed, a silver lining in this cloud.
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Sounds like a lot is going on out there. I saw a cardinal (in Indiana) out my window this week, too. My 20-something daughter, not usually impressed by such things, sent me a text this week about spotting one near her apartment.
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Cardinals are beautiful, and I always enjoy seeing them. We have them year ’round here in north Alabama.
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The beauty of observation cannot be “liked” and “scrolled past.” It requires time and reflection. Your presence in this piece about your backyard reminds the reader of how each of us changes any situation we find ourselves in–taking the time to notice is significant.
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I’m not always one to take the time to slow down and notice, but when I do, I’m never disappointed.
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So much to notice when we slow down and carefully observe. What a treat to spot a cardinal! It’s been many years since I’ve seen one. Spring in northern Alabama must be beautiful!
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North Alabama (the whole state, actually) is beautiful in the spring–absolutely gorgeous. We have a lot of cardinals near our house year ’round, and I never get tired of them.
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A cardinal is always a joyful sight. I would love a kitchen with a big window to look out. My window is small and over the sink, but it has made doing dishes more pleasant when I glance up to see a bird.
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When we shopped for a house, a window above the sink was a must. The larger window was a bonus, and we love it!
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