As I stepped outside early this morning, a cheery bluebird greeted me with his "good morning song." It is "trash day" and that means loading up garbage, plastics, aluminum cans, and paper to put down beside the highway for the Newton County Recycle truck to pick up. Frost was still on the truck windshield, but as I looked around the yard, there were bluebirds everywhere! A good sign! I told the dogs it would be another "bluebird day" here on the mountain. We have always marveled at the number of bluebirds who make our mountain their year round home (or maybe it is "their" mountain, since they were here first!) They don't seem to mind sharing, and we do our best to be good neighbors by providing extra houses and food.
The dogs were busy running around the yard picking up the fading scent of a wandering night animal who has been scavenging for a leftover scrap from the dogs' food bowls. Skunks, 'possums, and armadillos have been seen wandering through the yard during the night! None of these are really welcome. Deer and rabbits leave reminders that they, too, checked out the backyard in the night! One spring the deer ate all 24 buds off my "Aunt Marie's" rose bush during a late night visit! Bunnies regularly nibble the tulip leaves as they pop out of the ground in the spring.
When the late killing frost hit us on April 9 last year, Jack said it would effect the wildlife the entire year. We are seeing that prediction come true as an increasingly large herd of deer come running to feed each afternoon when Jack drives his 4-wheeler down in the hollow near the house with a bucket of corn. Even the 8 point buck has had to give up some of his wariness of humans in order to survive. We have counted up to 20 deer lately. We can only give them enough corn to keep a little fat on their bones. They are still dependent on whatever they can scrape up in the woods and pastures around the house.
We try to keep the bird feeders full of sunflowers and finch seed, but the squirrels often get their share first. I can't deny them a meal, so we just put out more seed. It's the same with the crows, blackbirds, and rowdy bluejays. All need nourishment during these cold winter days. The bright cardinals seem to slip in occasionally along with a covy of quail, doves, juncos, fieldlarks, woodpeckers, chickadees, goldfinches (though they have their own seed sacks, they steal a few sunflowers), and a few others I can't remember. I counted up to 26 different species feeding in the backyard at one time last year. Even a roadrunner makes an appearance now and then. Though I think he has other ideas about his meals!!
This is still early January, and we will have many more dreary, cold, foggy, and snowy days before real springtime, but always sprinkled in now and then, will be a day like today--a "bluebird day." And, the wildlife will bask in the sun, nibble on whatever food they can find, and wait for the next feeding from the "humans in the house." This verse comes to mind:
"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life...Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns. For your heavenly Father feeds them." Matt. 6:25a-26
