It almost felt like summer...

Today, I enjoyed a lazy late afternoon holding down the chaise lounge in the backyard. Ignoring all the chores I should be doing, I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my back as I laid on my tummy. I found it increasingly difficult to read thru my eyelids! Drowsy and warm, I gave up the overwhelming effort to keep my eyes open and settled on focusing on what I was hearing. Bees buzzing, sparrows singing, red wing blackbirds calling, house finches twittering and mostly, hummingbirds swooping past buzzing my red hair. One came so close I could feel the air it’s wings displaced tickle my ear as I laid there with the sun on my face.

After dozing for awhile I sat up to read. I was about six feet from the small apple tree that has a cedar birdfeeder hanging next to it. Holding very still, I was amazed at the activity at the feeder. The smaller the bird, the more carefree and daring. They didn’t care if I moved or not. The larger birds, the sparrows up to the blackbirds and grosbeaks were very wary of my being so close. The kept a watchful eye on me. I noticed that it was okay to move as long as my head was down angled towards my book, then it was okay to move my arm to turn the page. But if my head was up and looking at them, any movement at all would cause them to fly off, scolding me again.

All too soon, the sun got low enough to be blocked by the house on the road behind us and I found that the small fleece blanket I’d been using as a pillow wasn’t enough to keep me warm enough to continue to read outside. I was quite surprised to see that it was 8pm! It is now 9:50 and the sky is still tinged with the last colors of the sunset! And although the not-quite full moon is bright and shining looking out the window at the front of the house, the sky is still light looking out the back of the house into the west and the sunset over the water. It’s an enjoyable contrast, sort of like when it’s raining on one side of the street and dry on the other side of the street. Nighttime in the front yard, still only evening in the backyard!