For The Birds

"That's for the birds" thinking, permeates my wakened hours these shivering cold days. Some birds stick around all winter, saw a couple cardinals in the Star Magnolia out in the front yard yesterday. The Magnolia begins plumping up its flower buds before fall leaf drop and it must be these that the cardinals feed on. There's also the berrying up of Holly which some birds love if they can get to them before the darn squirrels eat 'em all. Surely, birds of a feather should flock together.

There are other birds that peek my interest too ; they're seen only by their vapor trails stripping the high sky on clear cold days. Pressing south, jumbo jets fly in my eastern high sky delivering passengers to warmer climates for winter getaways. Who are they ? Are they temperate snow birds ? Are they escaping or are they returning home ? Male or female, young or old, thin or plump ? 

A century long history of travel has asked these questions time and time again through story and song by vivid dreamers. What's a better theme than describing a huge plow in the sky turning over a long furrow of vapor readying the heavens for a spiritual application of fertile seeds. If only I could have thought of such a wonderful theme for a story, I would have become a writer. 

The unknown is a greater mystery than the vast list of knowledge accepted by the known world. It is for the living to chip away at the great unknown, find there the stories to reveal, then express these stories as best we can. 

Happy New Year,
Ronald C. Downie