The Bumble Bee And The Hummingbird and My Morning Pals.

Life is Better on the Porch

The death of Summer is approaching. The birth of Fall is gradually awakening from its long slumber. The climate during the daytime can still be oppressive in the South but the early mornings are wonderfully pleasant in September.

I rise at the crack of dawn, pour a cup of steaming hot joe, from my favorite mug that is just the right weight for my old weak arthritic hands, and sneak elusively to the porch. My happy place. Like a child, I gather my toys which are electronics, my iPad, iPhone, and Apple watch. I read, write, and check the morning news which can be a double-edged sword. You never know what you will wake up to.

While sipping my cup that cradles my medium roast, I hear a soothing sound. It’s so quiet. You have to pay attention. It is the delicate twinkling subtle sound that comes from the orchestra of my wind chimes.

I enjoy the moment and notice it is breakfast time for the birds, my morning pals who need their morning fuel. They gather at the feeder, wings fluttering and chirping and tweeting.

By this time my cats, have discovered that I am awake and on the porch and they come to join me. They stretch their front paws and back paws lazily and yawn. They love being out here too. Soon they will also discover our morning pals and my cats will also start to chirp and tweet like the birds.

I am at peace with the solitude of the early morning. I glance out at the yard to take in all the sounds and spy on the hummingbird feeder. I see a hummingbird the jewel of the sky and a bumble bee, earth’s tiny gardener. They are both feasting on the sweet sugary nectar. They haven’t noticed each other yet. I am the voyeur. I watch in total contentment. The tiny hummingbird dips its pointy beak in the feeder for nourishment much the same as the bumble bee. They forage into each tiny portal of sweetness.

They notice each other. Time stops as they both hover effortlessly over the feeder their oasis. They play a little game of tag. Each is not much bigger than the other. Just buzzing and seeking nourishment. As fast as they arrive, they both disappear into thin air. I wait for a bit and pray they will return to the theatre that is outside my porch and entertain me for just a moment longer.

Morning has broken and the stillness quietly drifts away. My solitude is interrupted by the irritating melody of the obnoxious morning rush hour of vehicles with people hurrying to get to their jobs or to get in the queue at the best establishment for coffee for their morning pick me up. The trucks from the nearby construction site are backing up and making that intrusive sound. Airplanes zoom overhead. My blissful solitude disappears and I count the moments till the next morning when the cats and I can watch my bird pals and the bumblebee and the hummingbird play their silly little game of tag.