Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday musings...


It's another gloomy day here in Missouri.  And I'm trying to fight off a gloomy mood the past few days.  Maybe it's S.A.D.  I know that it affects a lot of people this time of year.  To look on the bright side of things, we are half way through January!  Spring is only a bit over 2 months away.  Yay!  

I've been birdwatching out my kitchen window or when downstairs out the large back window.  They have really been eating up the food we put out as fast as they can!  I have seen a few bluebirds around the one birdhouse that I can see from the window and sitting on the wires but not at the feeder.  The bluebird is probably my favorite bird.  They are so pretty and "a symbol of happiness."  Naturalist Henry David Thoreau once wrote that "it carries the sky on its back."  

I have a little story about bluebirds.  When we first moved to this house over 20 years ago, we had taken our children out of one school district and put them into another and we had moved from the country which we loved into "town".   We had made the move because it was close to my husband's work and our church was in this town and the property was a very good buy.  Our country house was old and needed a lot of repair.  Hence, the move.  And this property is on the edge of town with 6 acres, so we still have a bit of country. 

I remember standing at the windows facing the back yard one day soon after we moved in.  It had been raining and our large patio has a low spot that water stands in when there's been a good rain.  Anyway, I was at the window gazing out toward the back pasture and worrying over whether we had made the right move.  I remember praying at that moment about my feelings and praying that we did the right thing in uprooting our children, taking them from a supposedly better school district.  (They did fine here, by the way.)

All of a sudden, I noticed fluttering and looked down out of the window and saw to my amazement around 2 dozen bluebirds frolicking in the water standing on the patio!  I've never seen that many bluebirds in our yard in the 20 plus years since.  I took that as a good sign!  And I was so amazed and enjoyed watching them so much that I completely forgot to grab my camera and get a picture before they flew away!   

I love many other birds, too.  The brilliant red of the cardinals is always a delight to see in the snowy winters.  The yellow of the goldfinches in the summer fighting for a spot at the feeders are fun to watch.  We've even seen an indigo bunting a few times in the last couple of years at the finch feeder.  He is a beauty, too!  

Bird watching.  Now there's a winter activity to shake off the gloomies!  I feel better already!  And I better get outside and put out more feed. 

Until next time...

14 comments:

  1. I also suffer SAD syndrome as our winters are so dark and gloomy.I love bird watching and have lots of feeders outside my window,they do cheer me up and I take loads of photos of them.
    The picture of your bird is lovely and it is nice to see pictures of birds that we do not get in Ireland.
    Lovely post and I enjoyed reading it.
    Carolyn

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  2. Hope it gets brighter soon!
    Thank you for visiting my blog and leving a lovely comment.
    love
    Lyn
    xxx

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  3. Cheryl...What a Blessing to have you stop by my place..Thank you so very much...
    I had chills when I read your post the beautiful blue birds playing there in the water gave you a sense of peace about the move you all had made. God is wonderful and I thank Him each day for even the smallest things that He does to remind us that He is in every part of our lives....
    Hope you'll drop back by and visit me....
    Blessings for a wonderful Day!
    Shug

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  4. My husband loves his birds and has built a couple of Blue Bird houses. They are also one of our favorites, but there are so many that are so lovely.

    I have heard several stories about the birds "speaking to us" at just the right moment, as you tell in your story, and believe it with all my heart because I too have experienced just such a treat.

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  5. P.S. Guess I should have said "gift" instead of "treat" because it truly is a gift from God.

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  6. I saw my last bluebird just before this last snow. Don't know if they're still around somewhere or if they migrated to warmer climes. I love them too; never had any here to speak of until this year when some took up residence in the bluebird house.
    I'm so sick of winter.

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  7. Such a pretty bird~!

    Love n hugs

    xxx

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  8. Hi Cheryl!

    I love birds too (big surprise - we are so much alike!), especially blue birds! The Mountain Blue Bird is actually the Idaho State Bird. They are so pretty!

    Moving is so hard! I felt the same way when we moved to the house we live in now. I only had one child in school, and I knew she could adapt, but could I?? I left wonderful friends, my church, good schools, it was so hard. I actually ended up going back to work in that town - about 30 minutes away, for the attorney I had worked for, for many years.

    This was also a good move for us, and there are lots of beautiful birds to watch! I love the church, and the people!

    Winter blues, ugggggg! They get me down every year. I take vitamin D3 and that really seems to help. Also lots of sun . . . when it shines!

    Beautiful pictures today!!

    Hugs,
    Barb

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  9. We have had lots of birds at our feeders as well. We put thistle socks up and the goldfinches are really going to town. They can empty one in a couple of days. So much fun and definitely a bright spot on a dreary winter day!
    Carolyn

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  10. Hi Cheryl!

    Just me again! Some of my recipes sound kind of strange - but really they are yummy. I have these recipes on a ~Word~ document, so if you ever want to have them, let me know and I will send them to you. I love to share menu ideas! Do you ever just get sick of cooking?

    Thanks for the sweet comment... :0)

    Hugs,
    Barb

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  11. Absolutely... Bird watching can definitely bring smiles to our faces --all year long, including winter.

    You are lucky to have seen so many Bluebirds in one place at one time.. I have seen about 4-6 at one time --but never 24. WOW!!!

    Enjoy your birdwatching, Chery! I will too.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  12. Our weather has been gloomy for a few days now. I'm ready to see some sunshine as it never fails to be a mood lifter.
    I, too, love to watch the birds and bluebirds are my favorites. I love your special bluebird story. I would have taken that as a good sign too.

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  13. Just on Sunday we saw a dove and wondered at why it was still here in this area. They usually are way south during the winter. I too love to see the birds and hear their sounds.
    I loved growing up in farm lands.
    Right now I have a daughter who just moved to Peculiar, Missouri. They bought a home with 3 1/2 acres with a barn and they are so excited to start having a few animals. She also wants to be a beekeeper. We haven't visited her yet; but look forward to doing that sometime this year. Blessings to you! LeAnn

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  14. You are so right about that. One day and one day only I had a rose breasted grosbeak, an indigo bunting and a gold finch at one feeder. My eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It looked like a Christmas tree with all the colors. I’ve never seen that many bluebirds together at one time either. I think that was a very good sign indeed :)

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