Good Times

The Great Northern Flicker came to the feeder this morning and was all contorted trying to get the last of the seeds at the bottom. I put more seed in the feeder—this is the first time I have done this, Chuck always "takes care of the feeders." Now, I wait for Mr. Flicker to come back to eat seed with a straight back. It is 8:30am, I sit in our Waldo Garden with Jack and we wait—it is cool, sunny and I can do this. The hard times came and went—my boss booted me out of my 8 to 5 job; my ex-husband left with the other woman. Simply because of the hard times I now work, evenings, where I always wanted to be. Simply because of the hard times I am now married to my best friend, Chuck. The house finches are at the feeder—they are lovely, slender and the males are wearing their reddish-purple capes. Goldfinches, the bright yellow canaries, have shown up and ease onto the feeder's silver perches. A female cardinal is at the water bath that sits on the same deck rail as Jack—she drinks, looks up at Jack, drinks, looks up and he sits watching. Oh! Up on the wire beneath the oak branch that shades the sun from my eyes, sits the Flicker. He will come and we will see him if we wait long enough which, I don't think we will. Jack wants his breakfast inside and I want to check my email for a note of acceptance from a publisher, any publisher. Feeding the birds worked for me even if I didn't stay to see the hoped for result. It is as if I am still there, even when I am not. . .