Today was another picture perfect fall day. The sky canvas was dark blue and cloudless. The sunshine warm and bright. A soft breeze occasionally softly pinged the wind chime pipes. Ate my breakfast and lunch perched on the porch swing and I never saw Father Sky sketch a cloud in the sky. Did see one black vulture winging his way to heaven mid afternoon. I love to watch their circles as they ride the air currents.

At dusk I gazed at a pink lemonade hue blushing the horizon around my street and house. The sun was just beaming bright and golden and a beautiful watercolor wash of the palest pink began coloring the sky. Mother Nature hasn’t had any clouds to paint the last few days and she’s just been subdued but magnificent in the pale hues she’s chosen for her palette. The pale yellows and golds and pinks, make me think of homemade jelly — the pale gold of apple jelly and the pale pink of wild cherry jelly. Lots of memories making homemade jelly with Chief bragging on the taste of a little smidgeon I’d drop on a saucer for him.

I saw the moon again during Penelope’s morning walk. He was so handsome and half full of himself. That’s two mornings I’ve seen him staying up late. I wonder if he’s out tonight or sleeping under his cloud cover. The sun must remember to kiss him awake and let him hang high in the starry canopy of the navy night sky. Went outside and the moon is no where to be seen, guess it’s too early but all of his twinkling star buddies are shining brilliantly. He can party with Jupiter tonight so I’ll probably take another look at the sky canopy before I go to bed.

Had a woodpecker reunion in my oak tree today. Two pileated woodpeckers, a downy woodpecker, and a yellowhammer stopped by. I was sitting out in the sunshine in my purple yard chair and I heard a woodpecker drumming on the tree. Looked up and saw two pileated woodpeckers, perfectly beautiful, mostly black with white stripes. Large as crows with long necks and flaming-red crests on top of their heads. In flight they have white underwings and small white crescents on the sides. I always think of them looking like torpedoes when they fly. Their song sounds like a jungle animal. Never see them that I don’t think of my brother-in-law Charles. He called them “Lawd Gods!” He’d always say that and then chuckle.

One little downy woodpecker came to one of the suet feeders while the pileated woodpeckers were drilling on the oak tree. He performed his feeding acrobatics, hanging upside down and sideways enjoying the fresh suet cake. I think he heard the pileated woodpeckers drumming and wanted to investigate to see if they left any critters in the holes they drilled. I always think of these birds, the littlest of the woodpeckers, as being dressed in immaculate black and white tuxedoes with little red French berets sitting far back on their heads. Beautiful little creatures.

After the pileated woodpeckers flew away a yellowhammer woodpecker came to investigate the oak tree. Guess he heard the drumming, too. Always wondered why our state bird is the yellowhammer and why Alabama is the yellowhammer state. Research says a company of young calvary Civil War soldiers from Huntsville paraded around with bits of bright yellow cloth trimming their uniforms. The cloth made people think of the yellowhammer woodpecker because of the yellow patches under the yellowhammer wings. Always thought the mockingbird, for no particular reason, should be the state bird.

Yellowhammers are so distinctive in their feathering, so prettily dressed. They are really northern flickers but Alabamians call them yellowhammers. They are so unique, yellowish brown, black spotted plumage on their breasts and wavy black lines on their backs. They wear a black necklace and have a bright red spot on their heads. When they perch you can see the vivid yellow of their underwings. I think they are the most handsome of the woodpeckers. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen one. They are the only woodpeckers that migrate.

I think we can compare ourselves to the birds of the skies. We build our nests and raise our children and set them free to make their way in the world. We pray they take a Godly path of prayer and thanksgiving on their life’s journey.

My grandchildren read a prayer in the car every morning on their way to school. They take turns reading the prayer and on my last visit they wanted me to read the prayer. I tried not to cry at the beauty of the short simple prayer and thought how wonderful it was, in the midst of the morning school chaos, the car was a vehicle of prayer. My daughter-in-law is a jewel, a devoted mother, a Christian woman, with a deep rooted faith. Her little chicks will be ready for the world when they leave their nest.

Some of us birds like to fly solo, soar on the wings of life, finding our own wind currents. Others of us gravitate to the flocks and find our place in their flight patterns. Birds have wings but without the courage to use them, they are useless. Our trust in God gives us wings of faith and gives us courage when the clouds get dark. When the twigs bend, we know God will give us wings. His wings of love will help us soar through life. As long as we fly with God on our shoulders we can be sure our journey will lead us to heaven.

“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings,” — E.E. Cummings