At last, one welcome icicle
Just received this delightful letter, handwritten and sent via snail mail, from "Angela," in Towson. Angela has written to me before about the birds she sees from her windows. Enjoy.
"Dear Mr. Roylance,
"Years ago I wrote you, when I was 93, an article titled 'Catbirds and Raisins.' I saw something today that I thought the readers or 'bird fanciers' would appreciate.
"A mockingbird flew down from the roof, sat on a branch of an azalea bush (just overhead were many icicles hanging from the gutters). The mockingbird reached over and drank several sips of water from the dripping icicle. Snow covered the lawn and bushes, but he preferred to drink from the icicle.
"I was stunned when I saw it. I had never seen anything like it before; and because I was inside my house, sitting at a table having my cup of tea, and just looked out my window, close by, at the precise time the bird arrived to take a drink from an icicle.
"[That this occurred] on Valentines' Day made it especially important to me, since I am confined to my house because of a stroke and do not get out to see other things that are important to me, i.e., the malls and stores.
"To me, he was the most important Valentine gift I ever received. Yours truly, Angela..."
Comments
Thank you, Angela, for reminding us of the small beauties to be found in the world around us ... if only we take the time to see.
(And thank you, Frank, for passing this along to us. With all the carping about the snow, it is good to be reminded of its potential for quiet delight.)
Posted by: BankStreet | February 23, 2010 3:19 PM
What a lovely story and letter! Thank you, Angela for sharing. I have also enjoyed seeing the birds through my windows during the storms and have kept the feeders full.
Posted by: Carrie | February 23, 2010 3:59 PM
Thank you, Angela (and Frank for passing this on). What a lovely scene you and your thirsty mockingbird friend have painted for us. I hadn't seen a crow (such intriguing birds) in my neighborhood in a very long time but saw one from upstairs the other day sitting in my maple tree. I guess it often takes a turn from "normalcy" for us to see everyday beauty.
Posted by: Elizabeth | February 23, 2010 6:08 PM
wow, angela . . . this is unique. there was a huge flock of robins by my house last week and one of them sat on my front porch roof, just outside my bedroom window and drank from a little left over pile of melting snow as it melted in the sun. it's something . . . i had never imagined they would sit and wait for a trickle instead of just drinking from a still pool of collected melt.
i was left wondering too, because i had never seen that before either . . .
thanks you two . . .
wow again . . . guess what the two words i have to type in for verification (needed to reduce spam) are?
"friend' and "cosmos" . . .
Posted by: ron mardeus | February 23, 2010 8:43 PM