An Eternity in Miracle Time

                                   


My mother said that the hummingbirds have returned. It shouldn’t surprise me, but it did; everything has bloomed sooner than usual. I usually see the hummingbirds for the first time each season when the apple blossoms are in their final phase, which is not the case yet.

I try not to be greedy, but there are certain times when I cannot help myself. It seems I cannot get enough of these extraordinary birds, always eager for their arrival and melancholic at their departure. I hang several feeders around the property concentrating on the area near the front porch so that I can sit and watch them [a sort of addiction].

I have a handful of small feeders that look like jewels that I drape over pine branches on the edge of the woods. The tiny birds get braver as the summer goes on and they come very close to me. One time a hummingbird hovered directly in front of me and we simply looked at each other for a good eight seconds, which is an eternity in miracle time.

So yesterday I made a batch of nectar and retrieved the feeders from storage, filled and hung them. While I was gathering violets, strawberry leaves, dandelion roots and greens, I kept an eye out for a sign of the tiny, remarkable creatures. Although I didn’t see one, the brightly colored butterflies, moths and chunky bumble bees were joyfully plentiful.

Last year I had a few black bear encounters. This year I took down my winter bird feeders in April to avoid attracting the magnificent hungry beasts. Even though I absolutely adore them, it is best for all to take necessary measures to maintain clear boundaries if possible. The ending can be risky for one of the two involved if we (humans) are careless and leave garbage, black oil seed feeders or other temptations out for their consumption.

I haven’t really had many problems with the hummingbird feeders in regards to bears, at least until now. This morning when I looked out the window, I saw two feeders torn apart and laying about on the ground. This is the first evidence of the bears returning after the long, peculiar winter. One of the feeders is broken but the other was simply empty.

It’s a fine line. Isn’t it?

Journal: Babies Breath