I’m a little obsessed with birds and Blake Shelton. On Sunday, I spent the day at home, trying to write, but mostly I watched the birds eating from the feeders outside our kitchen window. How many photos of birds can one take? Tons. Unfortunately, none of them are very good. I don’t have a fancy camera (only my iPhone), and if I get too close, they fly away. Even so, you can see the bright red cardinal. He’s a regular, and he’s gorgeous. I call him Blake. There’s a female too (not pictured). I call her…

wait for it……………Miranda.

I also spent lots of time watching a robin build a nest in the bend of the gutter downspout. (I call her Robin.) I wanted to say oh honey, that spot doesn’t look very safe. But what could I do? We don’t know each other very well yet. She flew back and forth from the boulder in our yard picking out bits of moss growing on it and carrying it to her nest. As she dropped each bit inside her new home, she wiggled her little tail feathers around to get everything just right, then returned for more. I’d never known a bird to use moss in nest-building. She knows what she wants, and that’s a soft cushion for her egg-laying business.

Later, while attempting to clean the front porch of pollen (pointless), I noticed a second bird nest made of twigs. Although I didn’t see the owner of this particular home, I believed it to be new construction.

Location, location, location! Prime spot in my opinion.

Just before sunset, a storm blew in. Swift and strong. The sky turned eerily sepia-colored, the way I imagine the Martian sky to look. The wind blew like that of West Texas. It was a short-lived event, and I managed to watch the CMAs Blake Shelton (the real Blake Shelton) without interruption. I’m not much of an awards show sort of girl, but I couldn’t miss the CMAs with Blake Shelton hosting. I heart him from afar. Okay, not that far…he and Miranda (I-hate-to-admit-it-but-I-have-a-girl-crush) live in Oklahoma, you know.

The next morning, the sky reappeared blue and bright, clear and clean. The noisy, hungry birds returned to the feeders, but the robin didn’t fare so well. Her nest lay on the ground, mushed and flattened by the wind and rain.

Seeing that nest on the ground started my day on a sad note. One little bird. All that hard work. I was glad I spent part of my Sunday with her.

Now, I’m not trying to get all preachy here, but the two nests reminded me of the Wise Man / Foolish Man Bible Story. You know, the wise man built his house upon the rock and the foolish man built his on the sand… (The porch nest survived the storm.) I was also reminded of Winnie the Pooh. And the rain, rain, rain, came down, down, down… I don’t think the hardworking robin was foolish. I think she was doing the best she could. Since the storm, I haven’t seen her again. I hope she’s busy rebuilding her home in a better spot. Live and learn. That’s what we do.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Blake Shelton, Birds and Home. My 3 current obsessions. @BlakeShelton #notastalkerthough [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert – Home