... Pitter Pat went my heart...

Some idiot called my cell phone at 5:15 this morning, waking me out of a deep sleep. Once up, there was no returning to slumber, so I got up, got my tea, and headed to the deck to watch the birds. Early morning is a great time - everyone in the bird world is waking up and they are all hungry. Hummingbirds were buzzing around the deck, woodpeckers, blue jays, chickadees, finches and titmice were chowing down on seeds - everyone was happy. Until one of the little tube feeders favored by the hummers went dry. I hurried in to refill it (I make sugar water by the gallon and store it in the fridge.) When I came out, three hummers mobbed me, jostling for position at the feeding tube. I had my cell phone, so I snapped this picture - not great quality, but I hope that it captures, in at least a small way, the moment. There is something so incredibly magical about having a hummingbirds wings brush your fingers, about looking into their shiny little eyes, about hearing the buzz of their wings. It was freaking amazing.

So, while the rest of the day had lots of wonders, this was my "moment." And for those of you who've never seen a hummingbird "in person", this gives you an idea as to how tiny they are. Mind boggling to think that they migrate thousands of miles each spring and fall.

The slightly cooler temps brought out all kinds of interesting things today and it would have been extremely hard to pick a blip if I hadn't had the hummer experience. If you'd like to have a look at the other wonders of the day, I've posted a selection of shots on FLICKR including a Giant Swallowtail (rare in our area), hummingbird moth, another long-nosed butterfly, assassin bug, charming katydid, bees, and the irrepressible Carolina Wren family who have been away for several months. Actually, the wrens showed up last night after the rain - full of curiously and song. They were back this morning, checking out all the pots on the deck and singing at full blast. Love them. A blip for another day...

Thanks for the stars, hearts, comments on my drippy dahlia petal yesterday. Surprisingly, it ended up on Spotlight for a short while - a nice surprise.

In other news, I've given in to Mimsy's demands for a chair, and have installed a small one on her stoop next to the hose box. She likes to sit on it and have her nuts and fruit. Again, a blip for another day...

The weather here is supposed to be blessedly cool tomorrow, so I plan to get out and do some hiking - with Big Daddy, of course. Hubs is away racing for the weekend, so the cats and I are holding down the fort.

Happy Thursday, blippers!

Post Script: I just found out that the 19th was a special blip-friend's birthday, so this blip is dedicated to SimpleMoments who knows how to find joy and beauty in each day, and who would love feeding the hummingbirds. She'd be chattering away to them, and they'd be spellbound...