Kinglets

January on the wet, west coast. I was warned, I was told this would happen, and it has. Grey days that seem to morph into the next grey day…with the odd sunny day mixed in to keep us hopeful and engaged ! The happy news is the mountains are covered in snow and hopefully that means more snow pack and less fires next summer. So try as I might to barter with Mother Nature, she has this all figured out and it is well beyond my control.

Now not all is grey and dull…life continues to chug along despite the rain. The tides rise and fall, the fishermen still make their way to work each morning past my house, the neighbourhood dogs still get their walks and most everything is green, green, green. I’m not sure I will ever get over the wonder of seeing all this green in the winter after 30 years of brown in Alberta. The grass is almost electric in colour, the towering firs and cedars seem to bask in this moisture. And yesterday on our walk around the ‘hood, there in a friend’s garden was a heather plant in all its purple glory. Made me so happy to see this.

Another new discovery this week? Kinglets. So many cute little birds whose name I have just learned. Kinglets…kind of an oxymoron, don’t you think? King makes me think BIG, when you add the “lets” part, I think of something small. Kinglets…. everywhere. The first time I noticed one I was walking on the grass and nearly stepped on it. He didn’t appear worried at all that a big giant beast was about to step on its head. And that’s when I noticed the rest of his friends…everywhere. All over the grass, digging up treats with their tiny little beaks. They hop, flutter and sing the most delightful tune. I don’t remember noticing them last year at this time but I am sure happy I noticed them now.

It is so encouraging to see life going on around me. If I am honest, it probably hasn’t rained as much as I let on, some days it just feels that way. Lucky for me, I love the sound of the rain on my tin roof, and the crackle of my wood stove as I put another log on, make a cup of rainy day tea and think of the kinglets all happily hunting on my lawn.