A couple of garage sale discoveries has fueled my new hobby. First, I found a great pair of binoculars for $4 at a sale just down the street. Then, a few weeks later, I came across a Duncraft tube feeder priced just right at $10.

Not long after finding the feeder, I hurried over to Wild Bird Junction to seek some knowledge and some seed. I found both. What a welcoming place.

Since then, I’ve built 3 additional feeders out of scrap wood and some other odds-and-ends I had sitting around the house. I can now gaze out my office window to watch the daily lives of my neighborhood wildlife.

This morning I read for an hour or so (conveniently enough from the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac), and then slipped onto my back deck with a cup of coffee to watch the birds have their morning feed. As I drained my cup, the sun was warming the upper branches of my neighbor’s crabapple tree. Seeing movement, I lifted the binoculars and saw 7 Bluejays clustered at the top feasting on fruit. What a great way to start the day.

Then, over breakfast, Corey and I heard a very compelling show on NPR. Speaking of Faith featured an interview with author Eckhart Tolle about his book The Power of Now. The interview was amazing, and we both sat through the entire hour. We were riveted by how clearly the author spoke of the challenges and joys of life. He stressed the importance of living in the now, and the new life that can be found in the environment.

After listening, Corey and I decided to go hiking. We wanted to be in the woods, and share a natural experience. We decided to go to a little used trail at Lake Cunningham (not exactly a lake at the moment, but that is fine by us). The lake bed is not a tall grass prairie bounded by stands of cottonwood. We wandered casually along the trail, taking the time to enjoy the sites and sounds of the place. We saw some really cool birds, including a Hairy Woodpecker and a pair of Great Blue Heron. As we were looking at some House Sparrows near the top of a giant tree, we saw a bundle of fur in a crook. Bringing it into focus, we saw the a curled up Raccoon taking a midday nap.

All in all it was a great morning. I enjoyed spending time outdoors with my wonderful wife, and of course appreciated my time with the birds.