The Garden – Part 5

February 23, 2009

The garden is a cacophony of sound today. The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze. This day is a blessing since our nights have dipped below freezing. We are still clutching our seed packets afraid they will freeze if we plant too soon. The sprinkler from next door is cheerfully watering our sidewalk. I move the clothes drying on the line away from the spray. The seed pods on the mimosa still rattle in the wind although a few have dropped off to the ground and into the pond. The branches of the chaste tree creak in the wind. They still look naked and bare with no sign of life. I anticipate the first of the purple buds that echo the color of the sunsets.

The crazy clumsy black birds that love our yard and trees are having a chat. After poring over the nature guides, I am convinced that this awkward bird must be the Chihuahua raven. Chihuahua state is our nearest neighbor in Mexico over the border. His typical call is a raucous “kraack” but today he is in a jolly mood and is going through his entire repertoire. Where has he been to learn his songs? I hear the distinctive “bob white, bob-bob white” of the quail. The “whippoorwill” is on his program today too. These are meadow birds, birds of the fields, but this urban scavenger has learned their songs and brought them to the city. I wonder what the country birds are singing these days?