Wednesday, December 31, 2008

To Birds It's Just Another Day

While we humans are getting ready to mark the beginning of a new year, life in the backyard goes on without noticing. The struggle to survive doesn't take into account the passing of December to January. The Red-bellied Woodpecker found the suet feeder and should make it through another cold night. Juncos and Chickadees made quick work of the fresh seed put out in the snow storm yesterday. A screaming Bluejay alerted me to the presence of a Sharp-shinned Hawk swooping around the bushes looking for a meal and the Cottontail Rabbit that has taken up residence under my deck is sneaking out tonight to grab what morsels it can.

This is as it should be. Life lived in the moment, focused on that which is important. We forget that I'm afraid. We complicate our lives because someone else decides we should. Later tonight we'll be with family and friends marking the passing of another year. We'll talk about things that are not so much "in the moment". We'll cheer and kiss when the clock strikes midnight. But out in the backyard, the Great Horned Owls will be dueting, focused on that which is most important to them.

I hope all those who read this find the time to focus on those things that will be important to them in the coming year and may it include those wild creatures we all invite into our lives.

Happy New Year!

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