mockingbird

A cloud of birds has always surrounded our child.
Hummingbirds and mysterious yellow finches heralded its coming, blue jays followed me around the yard providing advice and last week a red tailed hawk landed next to the wife at a cafe and communed for a while.

For about the last month there's been a mockingbird in the neighborhood singing non-stop. This is usually a pleasant backdrop to our day (and night, and morning) but around 6am today he woke us up from a dead sleep- it sounded like he was sitting at the foot of the bed.

I ventured forth au natural and found him sitting in our walnut tree, on a brand reaching toward the kitchen. Shooing didn't work (I guess it's hard to take anyone seriously when they're stark naked), so I pitched a branch into the tree.

He decamped for a nearby (but not too nearby) power line, singing all the way.
We went back to sleep.

As I write, he's still out there promoting his creed.