About this image Sometimes nature paints the canvas for you. This picture was taken right in front of our house. Tony often talks about how he wishes the power lines would go away, but in this instance they presented him with the little bird with something in his mouth and those beautiful clouds as a background. Nature is awesome.

Musings of a muse It is 40 degrees here in Virginia this morning. The heat came on, but the pool is open. It is very strange indeed. One represents our expectation, the other reality.

What struck me this morning was that although it was very cold the birds are singing their little hearts out. The birds are incredible and a treat to your eyes and ears.

There are bird feeders in both the front and back of the house and water as well. There is a constant battle between the grackles who are supposed to go north as it gets warmer and the birds that live here all year round. The grackles don't sing, (they make a pathetic sort of ugly sounding chirp) they are very aggressive and they make a big mess. They make it very hard for the smaller birds (who sound like opera singers in comparison) to get to the feeders. We watch the Cardinals who come very early and/or very late in order to get their chance at the feeders. During the day the minute the grackles are not around the smaller birds come around. Somehow they seem to be managing.

So perhaps there is a lesson here for us as we try to solve the problem of the Bushies. Maybe they are our grackles. Long, long ago where there were no books, and knowledge was passed on by word of mouth people probably learned lots of lessons on how to survive by watching nature.

I am reminded of something our dear friend Susan wrote on losing TT her dear animal companion of many years "She provided me with constant companionship, an abundance of anecdotes and laughter, many life lessons and a whole lotta love."