"You talking to Me!?"

Dear Diary,

I am so concerned for my little birds during this protracted cold spell.  With sub-zero temps at night and daytime temps in the 'teens, I really wonder how they manage.

I do my part by feeding them and at this point they are going through a 25 pound bag of seeds each week.  This little Junco seems to have got hold of big sunflower seed and looks quizzically at me as if to say, "You got a problem with that?" No, my little friend, I am happy to buy the seeds for you.

Even with the feeders and seed table, the birds still explore the snow for tasty tidbits.  Now I make a point of scattering some seeds in the snow for them.  They reward me with their sweet expressions.  I never thought of birds having expressions before I started observing them every day but they can say an awful lot with just a turn of the head.

The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.

Joseph B. Wirthlin