I'm emotionally invested now. Every time I look out my office window, the hummingbird is in its nest. She is sitting there now as I type this.
I've always liked nests. I think it stems back to when I was seven years old, living in Spokane, Washington. We came home from church one Sunday in May at around 1 PM and it seemed to be snowing, then everything went dark. Mt. Saint Helens had erupted and my brother and sister and I watched as my dad took a sheet outside to drape the pine tree in our front yard. There was a nest in the tree and the eggs had recently hatched. I remember being scared for the baby birds, and a little for my dad too.
I went outside to take a picture of my hummingbird today and it wouldn't move. The nest is hard to find, camouflaged in the leaves of the tree. I was surprised that she wasn't scared off. My wife thought it was protecting an egg. I waited until the bird flew away and looked into the nest. My wife was right. Hummingbirds sit on their eggs for 2-3 weeks for 50 to 55 minutes out of every hour until their eggs hatch, so I will be watching her for the next couple of weeks as she waits. Our kids are loud, constantly slamming doors and running around the front yard. The hummingbird could have picked a safer and quieter place for her nest, carefully built of spider webs and parts of plants, but I'm glad she didn't.
I've always liked nests. I think it stems back to when I was seven years old, living in Spokane, Washington. We came home from church one Sunday in May at around 1 PM and it seemed to be snowing, then everything went dark. Mt. Saint Helens had erupted and my brother and sister and I watched as my dad took a sheet outside to drape the pine tree in our front yard. There was a nest in the tree and the eggs had recently hatched. I remember being scared for the baby birds, and a little for my dad too.
I went outside to take a picture of my hummingbird today and it wouldn't move. The nest is hard to find, camouflaged in the leaves of the tree. I was surprised that she wasn't scared off. My wife thought it was protecting an egg. I waited until the bird flew away and looked into the nest. My wife was right. Hummingbirds sit on their eggs for 2-3 weeks for 50 to 55 minutes out of every hour until their eggs hatch, so I will be watching her for the next couple of weeks as she waits. Our kids are loud, constantly slamming doors and running around the front yard. The hummingbird could have picked a safer and quieter place for her nest, carefully built of spider webs and parts of plants, but I'm glad she didn't.
I ran today, twice. I also took a short hike with my son who pointed out wild fennel and sage. We picked some and crushed it between our fingers. The smell has followed me all day.
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