Today Aunt Jeanette writes:

I am a naturally optimistic person and it doesn’t take much to ‘make my day’. As we were leaving for church Sunday, I hurriedly glanced out at the shop and saw what I thought were cornhusks that had blown on top of this antique wheel. I remember thinking, “Well, the wind will blow them right back off.” Later that afternoon I was walking out to the shop to pick up some papers and saw a robin fly down from the wheel and start scolding me. I took a closer look and saw this nest she had spent all day building.

Almost two years ago I wrote a story about a robin’s nest that was built on one of our pivot stops. It fascinated me that the nest survived windstorms and pivot “showers”. It was also near a road and I thought maybe some passerby might see it and destroy it. Dan had the pleasure of witnessing the life cycle of a family of robins as he irrigated that summer. He said it made irrigating tolerable.

These two antique wagon wheels propped against the side of our shop building usually have Black-eyed Susan vines twining on them during the summer months. It is too early for plants, but it is time for robins to build their nests. I hope the nest survives (I have already warned everyone to keep their hands off!) so I have the opportunity to watch a family of robins grow.

When I get up in the mornings, the very first thing I do is check outside and see if the nest is still there. It makes me smile to see that little miracle every day!

Until we walk again …