This morning I am waiting for the call...from the courier that is delivering the rug I ordered for the living room. So while I am waiting I thought I would write about yesterday, the sad and the glad.
It might be a while before any goldfinches return to our backyard because they lost one of their beloved members yesterday. I was sitting here at the desk when I heard the familiar bang noise that means a bird has flown into a window. It was a loud noise so I felt sure it wasn't a good outcome for the bird. Hesitant to look, I saw a female goldfinch lying on the ground not moving. I tried to talk myself into thinking it was just a piece of mulch that looked like a dead bird but in my heart I knew the truth. I went outside and verified that it was a bird and then I did something I have not done before, I prepared to bury it. In Rancho De Five if a dove hit the window and broke it's neck, we just kind of flipped it over the fence onto the green space. But, this little bird here in the mountains had brought so much joy these past few weeks, the right thing to do was bury it where those stupid ants couldn't tear it apart piece by piece. Maybe I looked like a natural mountain woman, cause I dug the grave with curlers in my hair. I gently scooted the bird onto the shovel and it was face up. I looked at its face and little bird feet, and maybe a tear rolled down my cheek. I gently placed her in the hole I dug and said a few words out loud thanking God for His beautiful creation and I might have added a little joke to the ceremony telling any birds in the trees that were listening, His eye is on the sparrow, not the goldfinch...tough luck and then I covered her and placed a stone on her resting place. The male cardinal sat in a branch of a tree to the left of me and sang the whole time I was taking care of little Goldie and when I finished, he finished his song. It broke my heart to watch the male goldfinch flitting around the yard looking for her. I hope they come back because they are such beautiful birds. As soon as the rug is delivered I am going to go get decals for the window to keep this from happening again.
Once all those details had been taken care of, I was back into the house to finish getting ready because Vivian and I were going to The Pretty Place. No, not a spa or hair salon but the most beautiful open air chapel you will ever see. It is a little past Brevard and you're actually right at the South and North Carolina state lines. First of all the drive there was beautiful and I saw a few pottery shops that I will need to take Kathleen to when she visits and I also saw a produce stand that I follow on Facebook. Vivian and I had such a great time on the ride up there and as we neared the spot, she asked me not to look out on the right side so I would fully feel the impact of visiting for the first time. I think she thought I peeked but I told her I was looking at the wild azaleas and I really was. If you see orange azaleas around here, they are wild azaleas. The only other time I had seen the orange ones was when Dena and I were in Blowing Rock at a garden cafe. I don't know how they got a wild azalea. We pull up to the chapel and walk in...oh.my.goodness! You can hardly believe your eyes and you know you are on holy ground. Now some people didn't quite think that, but you could tell that most knew. There are scriptures and wise sayings throughout the chapel...but no windows. It was a bit hazy but that added to the majesty of the moment. Vivian has been there in all the seasons, rain or shine and she says it is beautiful no matter the season and she is right. Of course I am no expert only being there once but...I am sure this will be a return trip. A father and daughter were sitting in the pews having a 'how is life' talk. An employee of the Y Camp where the Pretty Place is situated interviewed a prospective employee telling him the history of the place. That was a bonus for sure as I eavesdropped. We stopped at a Asian Buffet on the way home. Again...oh.my.goodness! It was huge and the food was awesome! Even had some southern comfort food and tons of desserts. I had the banana pudding and ice cream with sprinkles, because sprinkles are for winners. This will be a return trip especially when I told Roy about the boiled shrimp. Vivian then took me where she and Bill ca'mp when they want to get away from it all. A beautiful and peaceful place. We saw fly fishermen in the river trying their hand at catching a trout. Then we headed back toward home. I learned what ramps are. Not a freeway ramp or not the catchy phrase that was in vogue a couple of years ago...you know 'ramp up'...no ramps are a wild mountain onion and if you want friends and family nearby, don't eat ramps. They invade every pore of your being. Vivian said you can't stand to be in a car or close places with a ramp eater. So I will stay away from ramps.
There are so many more places on my list to visit and see. There is so much! I checked on Goldie's spot when I got home yesterday and the stone was not rolled away, nor was I thinking it would be but when robins see turned up ground, they are all over it looking for worms. So today, while I wait, I am also on chipmunk and ground hog duty, although I have kind of given up on an all out watch.
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