Busy morning on the porch

At long last, it appears that pollen season has ended.  As much as we love our front porch, it is nearly impossible to endure the yellow dust that seems to coat every chair no matter how often you sweep or wash them down.  The only happy people this time of year are the carwash establishments that have sprouted up all over town.  

This past weekend the weather was perfect, our children were in town, and the porch furniture had been freshly scrubbed.  We sat for a couple of hours watching people walking their dogs and taking their morning walks.  The birds were providing all the background noise we needed.

All of sudden a bird fluttered directly behind my daughter’s head.  She jumped out of the swing thinking that something was attacking her from behind.  It turns out that a momma bird was busy making a nest in the magnolia tree just feet away.   

The momma bird finally became used to our intrusion, and she got back to work.  Steadily she would gather grass from the lawn and take it back to the new nest.  Repeatedly, she made the journey like a mother on a mission.  Perhaps this is where the term “nesting” came from.

The neighborhood fox was also busy, passing through our yard half a dozen times as we sat there.  This was the daddy fox, hunting for another meal for the new group of kits he has to feed.   He long ago became accustomed to our presence and we enjoyed watching the show he put on this morning.

The final wild animal that dropped by was a hawk that likes to take a perch on the trees on our front lawn.  Like the fox, he is probably attracted to the chipmunks and squirrels that call our yard home.   Along with the neighborhood cats, they help control the population of chipmunks, but the squirrels are still beyond plentiful.

With the dozen or so dogs that paraded by, it was like we had a front row seat in a zoo, with nature active everywhere we looked.  Having coffee with our children in such a setting was a gift and a fitting end to a wonderful visit with our family, including grandchildren.

Here is hoping that springtime is bringing you joy as well.

Dan Ponder can be reached at [email protected]