Backyard life

 Everyday that it's not raining, I sit for an hour or so on one of the Adirondack chairs that our old friend Hank Fotter helped Bern build, and watch the life in our backyard.

(Hank died a few months ago and we're going to the celebration of his life in August.)

This time of year, life abounds out back.

Trees in abundance! Over a dozen trees line our east and south.

Plants in bloom. I don't know how Bern did it (she has had almost 30 years to do it!) but there is always something blooming in the back yard, full of color and joy.

Birds, birds and more birds. Mostly Robins and Cardinals and lots of smaller birds--wrens and such--as many as a dozen at a time in our yard. We have the occasional Blue Jay and tiny humming birds about as long as my middle finger. Crows in the trees, cawing and complaining. And once for a few minutes a Snowy Owl. There's a bird bath there always full of water and I love watching birds splash around in it.

Lots of critters--squirrels and chipmunks mostly--with an occasional bunny. And our dog Brigit's favorite--ground hogs down at the end of the yard that she delights in chasing.

That doesn't even mention the spiders and insects and butterflies that are always around. And the worms, that the birds come to feast on after a rain.

Sitting there watching backyard life gives me life.

What a wonder that Nature lets us be in her domain!