The maternity ward

The light was dim inside the garage as Paul and I put on our sneakers in preparation for our morning walk. Through the window of the door leading to the outside, we could see the brilliant red blossoms of one of our rhododendron plants. This particular Rhodie is always the first to bloom of the several we have on our property and was doing so in spectacular fashion. We opened the garage door and were greeted by a brown flash of feathers as a small bird darted from somewhere underneath the eaves. "I've been seeing that little bird for the past couple of mornings," said Paul. "I think her nest is around here someplace, but I can't find it."

We often find birds nesting around the house and try to leave them alone during their maternity period. One year, an industrious little sparrow built her nest in one of the hanging flower pots just outside our kitchen window. Paul found it before her eggs were laid and removed it. He didn't want to accidentally drown any chicks while watering if he forgot they were in there. For the next week, that little bird gave us the stink eye and hollered her disgust every time we went out on the deck. Fortunately, in time, she flew off in search of a better spot for her nursery.

Paul and I spent several minutes looking for a nest before embarking on our walk. The flashy Rhodie was an obvious spot because it had held a nest for years that had been home to several generations of birds. But the nest eventually disintegrated and Paul found it's remains at the base of the plant last spring. I thought the little bird might have been a swallow and began looking for a mud nest up under the eaves of the garage. Out at the barn, where I keep my horse Mac, swallows rule the roost. They flit in and out of their mud homes, leaving chirping chicks behind in search of all of the insects that come with livestock. We welcome them in spite of the little hillocks of poop they leave behind. But we spotted no nests, mud or otherwise, so we headed out for our walk.

Thoughts of the little bird were lost as we set about the business of getting on with our Saturday. I was in my studio on the computer perusing recipes for the weekly grocery list when Paul called out. "Hey Stace," he said. "I found the nest." He was standing outside the garage near the big red Rhodie grinning. "Where is it?" I asked looking again to the eaves. "Turn around," he said indicating that I should face the door that I just emerged from. I looked closely at the door and then I saw it.

Next to the door, Paul had hung an artificial wreath that he had purchased last year at the big community garage sale hosted by our local Lions club. He liked the the pop of color the wreath added to the front of the garage. Apparently, the little mother bird agreed with him because she built her nest in the center of the wreath. We peered inside and saw four tiny, speckled eggs. So just like that, the outside of our garage became a maternity ward. After some quick searching of nests and eggs online I'm thinking we have the beginnings of a family of wrens. Only time will tell. In the meanwhile, we'll tiptoe in and out of the garage so as not to wake the children.

Welcome Spring!

WEST BEACH SUNSET

14x11 inches, oil on linen canvas, 2019

BUY THIS PAINTING AT AUCTION Click on this link to bid: https://ebay.to/2WlpZr3

West Beach Sunset - auction ends on Sunday, June 2nd at 9:00am PST. 

Another amazing sunset frames a barn on Whidbey island.