In Springtime...

I meant to write this blog on Thursday, but alas ran out of time. There are not enough hours in the day lately. Honestly.

I know that the arctic weather of the past few days may have many despairing of ever feeling the warmth of springtime, but a few days ago I experienced a taste of that beautiful season.
That morning I woke up with a song in my head. It's a madrigal arrangement of Shakespeare's sonnet...

This carol they began that hour,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that life was but a flower	15
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

I came down the stairs singing the darling lilting melody and at the sound of my voice, my little bird began to sing for her breakfast. The poor dear had only shells left in her bowl, so I traipsed to the back door to blow them into the snow. (I know it sounds silly, but that's how I make sure I'm not dumping out good seed with the shells.) The porch was sunny and bright and lo, my amaryllis had burst into bloom seemingly overnight! So of course I ran for my camera so I could share the glory with you. :)


And then, after I had filled my birdy's dish, she took a few bites and sang her thank-you while I ate my own breakfast in the next room. What a pleasure to have such a cheery bird in the house! And such a cutie, too!

I renamed her Jacqueline (pronounced in the proper French "zhak-LEEN" of course) since I found out she's probably a girl... "Jack" just wasn't going to cut it anymore. So now when I go into the den I give her a pleasant "Bonjour, Jacqueline!" (even though that's all the French I know and she is technically of English descent) and she twitters her reply. My mother made the astute observation that she really is a one-person bird, because she pretty much hates everyone else in the house and usually sings when she hears my voice. Thus, if I move back to Oakland next year, I will try to arrange for the bird to come with me. I would hate to leave her when we are just starting to get along again, for I must admit that after Elli died I left "Jack" to my family's care for a while. :( But that's all in the past now. New name, new beginning. And spring just around the corner!! ;)