One
of the most relaxing activities I can think of is watching birds at the bird
feeders. We just got home from a couple
days at my folks’ and spent so much time watching vibrant, busy, hungry and
diverse birds at the feeders.
Hummingbirds, Nuthatches, Scarlet Tanagers, Orchard and regular Orioles,
Chickadees, Indigo Buntings, Cardinals, Cowbirds, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves and
Sparrows congregated where they are regularly fed. A full-faced chipmunk peeked in the window,
too. The music in the air created by
nature was mesmerizing. The creek is
flowing well after a strong winter that widened the gullies and narrowed the
earth between the pole barn and the creek.
Trees have toppled into the water and yellow flowers have burst forth all
around the banks. One of my brothers
found a morel mushroom. The other found
a unique sparkly rock that may have once been a deer antler. The air and water always seem fresher
there.
Dear, dear God, creator of
spiritual spaces, thank you for the beauty of the coulee. Even in the busy-ness of family activities
and chatter, this place is a calming force in all our lives. We know when we are there we are surrounded
by the holy. Amen.