An Anna’s hummingbird perched on the very tip of the tallest upright branch of my still leafless plum tree while I ate breakfast this morning. It just sat there for the longest time. I marveled that the tip of the branch offered enough surface for the bird’s tiny feet to grip. Suddenly, it turned its head toward me, and with a ruby flash of crown, lifted my heart. The beauty of rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds inspire awe, greed, high prices, and sometimes cruel behavior by humans toward each other. But those stones all pale compared to a face-to-face moment with a male Anna’s hummer.
At the right angle of reflected light, even on a dim gray Seattle morning, his entire head glows iridescent crimson, an entire jewel box of rubies. This gem of Nature’s takes my breath away every time like no rock ever could. If more people would just take time to watch and appreciate these tiny birds…
Peas, continued
Yesterday, 4/12, the peas I planted on 3/25 finally showed a tiny green arch of nascent stem just barely surfacing. A proud parent, I naturally took pictures (and not very good ones). More were showing in the pot with the commercial soil mix than in the peatless mix on this first day. I’ll let you know what happens over time.
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| out-of-focus, just born pea, 4-12-11 |
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