Birds of Summer:
Making a Wish Come True
by Sunny Schlenger
 It's ridiculous how much pleasure I can get from small things. Like hummingbirds, for example. I've always been fascinated by their odd little proportions, with their long beaks, tiny whirring wings, and seal-like bodies. I rarely saw them, however, until we decided to make an effort to attract more birds to our backyard this summer.
The funny thing about our "decision" is that we never realized there was one available to us. For years I'd sit out on the patio, delighting in the arrival of each different species of bird, and always hoping to see more. (The summer that my favorites, the cardinals, nested in our Rose of Sharon was the best ever.) But it was a passive enjoyment. For some reason we never thought about being proactive and creating attractions that would bring in more birds to enjoy.
I'm not sure why, but one day I started obsessing about birdbaths and hummingbird feeders. We did some research on-line and interviewed our local flower nursery and bird store managers for ideas on creating a (very) small bird sanctuary.
The results, from my point of view, were spectacular. We built it, and they came, and we've had a lovely couple of months watching adults and babies of all kinds take advantage of our backyard amenities. So here's the question: What took us so long?
It certainly wasn't the time involved or the cost; those were minimal. I can't even say it was laziness - once we got the idea, we immediately took off. All I can figure is that we were stuck inside of a box of our own making. Somehow we managed to sit out back all summer, every summer, saying, "Wouldn't it be nice to observe more birds? Wouldn't it be great to see hummingbirds up close?" and that would be it.
What does it take to move us in the direction of our daydreams and fantasies? Often, all we need is the realization that we can step out of our box. And it's quite an eye-opening experience when it occurs: "You mean I could have been having all this fun starting years ago?"
>>> Click to Continue Reading "Birds of Summer"©
Copyright Sunny Schlenger. This article was originally
published at our website, SoulfulLiving.com, in January 2004, as part of Soulful Living's "Living Your Dreams" Issue.
Click to View Our "Daily Soul Retreat" Newsletter Archive
|
