"Every animal - from the smallest to the largest -
has a purpose in helping to maintain
the balance of our ecosystem.
Indoor pets entertain us,
encourage us to exercise,
and offer unconditional love.
The birds, squirrels and butterflies,
that we see outside our homes or in the park
are sources of music, enjoyment, and peace of mind."
Daily Word Meditation - 10/4/08
I have a memory of a sunny day at Lighthouse Beach, several years ago, when Al was pruning some of his beautiful hanging baskets. As we were sitting in chairs visiting, a Blue Jay landed on Al's shoulder! Unbelievable. There was no camera within our reach to record the serendipidus moment. The Blue Jay stayed on his shoulder for several minutes as Al froze. The words of one of the songs my Grandmother Dory used to sing to me played in my mind as I watched in amazement.
"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my what a wonderful day!
Plenty of sunshine heading my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Mister Bluebird on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actch'll
Ev'rything is satisfactch'll
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!"
It was a wonderful day, a wonderful feeling to experience that moment in time.
We actually purchase large quantities of bird seed to feed and encourage the birds to visit our neighborhood. "Music, enjoyment and peace of mind," are definitely words I think of as I take photos of the beautiful animals that inhabit our yard at Lighthouse Beach. I am thankful for the opportunity to watch the flight patterns of the various species, their beauty, their songs, and their antics.
Photo: Bluejay in our yard at Lighthouse Beach - 9/30/08
6 comments:
We have a lot of birds in our yard because we don't spray anything on our lawn or garden to kill bugs. My favorite thing is to watch the quail family skitter across the yard - with mama and the little bitties snacking while papa watches from atop the fence or wood pile.
Pati,
I really enjoyed your bluebird story. We like to feed the birds in our neck of the woods too and the bluejays are the skittish birds of all. We have a pair that love to bathe in our bird bath. They come one at a time and sit and screech terribly at the edge of the bath. The screaming lets us know that they are there so we come to look. If we let ourselves be seen, they fly away. I wonder if they screech like that to warn everyone away before they become vulnerable to attack by being all wet? Anyway, your story is an amazing one based on our experience with these timid creatures!
~jane
Beautiful bird and story. www.debrennersmith.com
How cool is that? Plus, I love that song -- my parents used to listen to it all of the time (on 8-track, heh-heh)!
You know, Pati I didn't need the photo. I had your words and your song.
Bonnie
As always, a beautiful photo to match the gorgeous writing.
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