Well, we made it through Januaryâmore or less. I must have, anyway, because here I am at zeroâdarkâthirty typing about anything that isnât politics. Believe me, I have plenty of thoughts on that front, but this isnât the place. This is the quiet corner where I sort out lifeâs small quirks. The trouble is, my life has been pretty uneventful latelyâwhich, truth be told, is exactly how I prefer it.
Take yesterday. The big excitement was a new coffee grinder arriving on the porch. The old one had stopped doing the one job it had, so I ordered the same model again. No learning curve, no surprises. Charlie and I walked down to check the mail. I took a couple of naps. I even planned to drag my dumbbells and bench into the family room to get some exercise, but I forgot. Maybe Iâll get to it this afternoon. Mornings are for coffee.
Out back, the cold weather brought in crowds of small birdsâmostly chipping sparrows and goldfinches, with house sparrows, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and the occasional warbler mixed in. I thought about sitting outside to watch them, but it was colder than I cared to tolerate. Every so often Iâd open the back door for Charlie and watch him charge into the yard, sending birds skyward and squirrels scrambling for the hole under the fence.
Maybe âboringâ isnât the right word for days like these. Maybe the better word is solitudeâthe kind that feels earned, steady, and just right.
"An American crow sits perched on a bare branch, its entire form rendered in deep silhouette against a pale, cloudâwashed sky. The birdâs shape is unmistakable: the strong, slightly arched back; the thick neck; the heavy, intelligent beak pointing outward as if testing the air. Every feather blends into a single dark outline, giving the crow a quiet, statuesque presence.
The tree it rests on is leafless, its branches thin and angular, reaching in every direction like a web of ink strokes. The starkness of the branches frames the crow, making it appear both solitary and centralâan anchor in an otherwise open, drifting sky. The light behind the bird is soft and muted, turning the whole scene into a study of contrast: dark against light, stillness against the slow movement of clouds.
Thereâs a contemplative mood to the image, as if the crow is keeping watch over a quiet morning, or simply taking a moment to exist in the cold air. The simplicity of the composition makes the crowâs presence feel almost symbolicâendurance, awareness, and a touch of mystery perched on a winter branch." - Microsoft Copilot
A photograph showing a little speckled bird, looking down, on top of a utility pole. A set of wires is going across the lower half of the photo, from the left to the right (tilting upwards); another bundle of wires is coming from the lower left to connect to a crossbeam mounted, via two strips of metal, to the utility pole the bird is perched upon. A thick black cable has "fiber optic" written on it.
The bird is looking down with curiosity, little beak and head peaking over the edge of the pole. Their wings are neatly tucked into their side. The sky is a relatively calm blue; not pastel, but not so bright or saturated, either. The utility pole has a sort of black, bubbly tar on it, with some points reflecting with reddish sheen in the light.
not all birds were so happy to be photographed, of course. To be fair, I saw the crow, and then basically whipped my camera around without having time to adjust much of anything, so I'm grateful I got a shot at all.
"A juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) perches on a slender branch, poised and alert. Its plumage is a speckled tapestry of brown and white, mottled like bark and snow. A bold white stripe runs from the base of its beak past the eye, giving its face a masked, ceremonial look. Atop its head, a small red patch glows like a seal of initiationâbright but not yet dominant. The wings are dark, etched with white markings, and the tail feathers are similarly dark with pale edges. The background is a soft blur of green, suggesting forest foliage, and it frames the bird in quiet reverence. The sapsuckerâs posture is upright, its gaze sharp, as if listening to the pulse of the tree beneath its feet." - Microsoft Copilot
A close-up shot of a rusty brown bird in profile showing a bright yellow eye and a ball-shaped bulging crop. This is a very full Brown Thrasher. Photo by Peachfront