Another weekend has come to an end. Mine was highlighted by an two-day visit from my big sister and her husband. It was a nice time, full of fun, food and drink and relaxation.
My brother-in-law is an early riser. Up with the sun, he heads down to the coffee shop to mingle with the locals and catch up on the community gossip. Having heard him set off on Sunday morning, I pushed myself out of bed sooner than usual so had a quiet spell to myself over my own cup of java.
Just as my husband joined me, I heard the soft trill of a bird in the distance. As I looked out the window at the snow that still carpeted the landscape, what I was hearing seemed too good to be true. Since our guest was returning just at that point, I asked him if my ears had deceived me or if that was indeed a robin. His response made my morning shine.
The first sign of a robin for me is as uplifting as the pure fragile bud of a snowdrop breaking through the ground. Their welcome home begins the spring music that fills our mornings, beckoning flora and fauna to come alive in the wake of Old Man Winter. It’s as cheerful as the cold and snow was bleak.
With a yard full of trees, birdsong accompanies the hours my husband and I spend out of doors in the warm seasons. I love watching the birds flit from place to place, and listening to them call and serenade.
Since you can never have enough of them, I’ve tried to encourage more feathered friends to the garden, by installing feeders and birdhouses. Unfortunately, it too often seems the squirrels are the greater beneficiaries of my efforts.
Either way, I celebrate their return to our clime with all the joy of a pup let loose in a summer meadow. Their presence adds colour and life to a landscape asleep too long. Their song makes hearts sing.
So, as I waken to the robin’s trill, as I think about soon being able to watch them dart from place to place, their merry plumage splashing colour into the day, all I call say is welcome back.
And with birds on the brain, I’ve scoped out some terrific collections of bird clipart, sure to infuse any project with a cheery vibe:
1,099 iCLIPART.com Bird Illustrations
Clipart.com Bird Illustrations
