Hail in May? All I can say is The Land of Enchantment continues to amaze me. My living room windows bore witness to snow flurries and hail, followed by a brisk quality of blazing light searing through the canyon that sparked memories of Autumn in me. If it weren’t for the baby green leaves sparkling on the trees, I would have sworn it was October here. The cold front swept in like a lion overnight, and with it came a new flock of birds – sparrows, whose exuberant song awoke me this morning – a prequel to an all day Bird Parade of puffed up, seemingly stunned winged creatures in search of seed and shelter in the branches of my silver maple tree. Grossbeaks, Juncos, Finches, Downie Woodpeckers, Wood Doves… this Junco… and wouldn’t you know, a pair of Orioles all came to fuel up and fight over the last sunflower seeds in my feeder.

Oh, what a diverse and breathtakingly unpredictable and beautiful world this already is!