All the Bluebird News from Mom and Dad

I had a nice chat with Mom and Dad today. I normally take a walk on my lunch break, and about once a week I give them a call as I'm strolling. It's a habit I copied from my wife, whose family is much further away, and yet she's managed to stay closely connected through weekly calls. Today I got news about bluebirds.

A short time ago, after having lived in the same house for over forty years, a house for which Dad drew the blueprints and stopped by after work during construction to add more nails to the framing, they moved. Dad had talked about moving for years, but it was a bit of a surprise when they actually did.

They only moved a couple miles, to a house of the same vintage, and an almost identical floor plan. It sounds a bit silly on the surface, but actually was pure genius. Dad practically gutted it before they moved in, tweaking and remodeling, adding an office and a breakfast nook and closet shelves. In the old house, Dad's office was on the second floor and now they have a single story. They got the house they had loved for forty plus years but with all the minor annoyances ironed out.

The breakfast nook has a large window that looks out on the backyard. It's the best part of the house, another of my Dad's great ideas, and the spot where I suspect they spend the most time. Through the window they have a clear view of the bluebird box.

They hung the box a year or two ago, but this is the first year a family moved in. Mom and Dad are both great lovers of nature, a trait I am grateful they passed down to me. And when I called today, I got a detailed report on the bluebird antics.

They are enjoying a second nesting, which is not uncommon. The parents stay busy finding food and bringing it home to a hungry and growing brood. They are, regrettably, having a terrible time with non-native house sparrows, which relentlessly harass bluebirds (more information here: North American Bluebird Society factsheet.

Of course, I normally also get a report on Mom's painting, Dad's latest interesting read, and visits with friends. But today, for the better part of forty minutes, I heard all the news about bluebirds. It was all the news I needed. It was all the news that mattered.