Concerto in Cute-sharp

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud, sing out strong
Sing of good  things not bad
Sing of  happy not sad

Sing, sing a song
Make it simpleo last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song - The Carpenters 1971

I woke up sinusy this morning with a scratchy throat and a headache - not the optimum way to start the day. Not completely enough to ground me, though, as I managed to spend a little time in the garden. Almost immediately, I caught sight of Lefty, our resident male Carolina Wren, who was doing a big repertoire of trills, dits, rattles and songs. Soon enough, Mrs Lefty arrived on the scene and they both popped over to the Fat Diner (see Extra) for a nosh.

You may (or may not) recall that Lefty showed up late in the summer of 2019 with a badly deformed beak - his upper bill twisted to the left. When I first saw him, I didn't have high hopes that he'd be able to feed himself. But, he adapted, managing to turn his head sideways to scoop food up using the sides of his beak. And during the early winter months, he started keeping company with a female. This summer they raised a couple of broods, all testimony to Lefty's abilities to be a good provider.

Carolina Wrens have big, loud, lusty voices and can be heard singing in any and all months of the year. He and Mrs Lefty were a good reminder to me today some things in the world are "business as usual."

Meanwhile, we've hit a new, horrific high in hospitalizations in our country - 90,000. This stretches our medical personnel closer and closer to the breaking point. Some hospitals are on "divert", some can't take non-covid emergencies, some are having to make critical care decisions as to who gets treatment and who doesn't. And all the "thank you health care heroes" signs on lawns don't make this better. What our health care workers need is for people to stop being selfish, to stop taking unnecessary risks, to stay home. (And sorry if this sounds a bit shrill.)

Be safe, people. Keep your distance, wear a mask. Be loving.
xo
Debbi