A Spring Icon

Dear Diary,

Nothing says "spring" to me more than the fresh green leaves sprouting on the old maple tree in front and a wee chickadee with a mouth full of nest building material!  The chickadees have been darting in and out of the tree in a frenzy.  I believe this one has taken a bit of wool from a net bag I leave out for this purpose.  My friend's sheep "donated" it to the cause.  It will make a nice soft bed for the eggs.

Every fall I wonder if the old tree will make it through the winter and every spring there it is putting out new leaves.  I have had to have an arborist do some serious pruning of dead branches and he fertilized it as well.  The old tree soldiers on in fair weather or foul, welcoming the squirrels that nibble the new leaf clusters in the spring and the seeds later in the season.  The woodpeckers have had a field day drilling holes in it but it doesn't seem to mind sharing.  It may not be beautiful tree in the strict sense, too many scars, but I admire its tenacity. So, happy spring old maple, you look perfect to me!