35:52 Dear Hummingbird
Quietly, I proceeded along the new birding trail I discovered. Blanca remained unseen down below while I could stretch just tall enough to look out over the top layer of shrubbery. We had only a few more minutes before the evening sun would be gone.
Then I heard something. It was familiar but I couldn’t place it at first. Somebody with a high-pitched voice was excitedly chattering away. Finally, beyond the range of my optimal eyesight, I recognized a shape crowning a twig. I could make out what looked like the gleaming lance of a medieval knight angled upwards in resolute readiness – and that’s when it struck me who you were!
I’ve had encounters with you in the garden where you suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hovered 4 feet in front of me, buzzing at me like an oversized bee, challenging me. You’re so popular with gardeners and photographers, it’s easy to forget that you are free and wild, roaming the wilderness. I didn’t realize this, but every spring you fly from Mexico northward up the coast as far as Canada and even Alaska and then back south along the Rocky Mountains to return to Mexico for the winter, an incredible journey of roughly 7800 miles! You memorize every garden feeder and every secret forest meadow along the way, and you’ll even pluck insects right out of spider webs. You live by your wits and your feisty personality. You truly are an iridescent little jewel on wings, and I love you and admire you.
Obviously, you could see me but you still remained for a long time, chirruping along. I think perhaps your song told of this beautiful and timeless truth: Nobody is ever too small to carry themselves with kingly self-possession and accomplish heroic deeds.
Be full of miniscule magnificence!
Claudia
35:52 Dear Hummingbird
Quietly, I proceeded along the new birding trail I discovered. Blanca remained unseen down below while I could stretch just tall enough to look out over the top layer of shrubbery. We had only a few more minutes before the evening sun would be gone.
Then I heard something. It was familiar but I couldn’t place it at first. Somebody with a high-pitched voice was excitedly chattering away. Finally, beyond the range of my optimal eyesight, I recognized a shape crowning a twig. I could make out what looked like the gleaming lance of a medieval knight angled upwards in resolute readiness – and that’s when it struck me who you were!
I’ve had encounters with you in the garden where you suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hovered 4 feet in front of me, buzzing at me like an oversized bee, challenging me. You’re so popular with gardeners and photographers, it’s easy to forget that you are free and wild, roaming the wilderness. I didn’t realize this, but every spring you fly from Mexico northward up the coast as far as Canada and even Alaska and then back south along the Rocky Mountains to return to Mexico for the winter, an incredible journey of roughly 7800 miles! You memorize every garden feeder and every secret forest meadow along the way, and you’ll even pluck insects right out of spider webs. You live by your wits and your feisty personality. You truly are an iridescent little jewel on wings, and I love you and admire you.
Obviously, you could see me but you still remained for a long time, chirruping along. I think perhaps your song told of this beautiful and timeless truth: Nobody is ever too small to carry themselves with kingly self-possession and accomplish heroic deeds.
Be full of miniscule magnificence!
Claudia