Here in Colorado we’ve entered the few weeks between winter and summer known as ‘mud season’. It’s oddly ‘Seattle’ outside; overcast, cool, and very, very wet with that patented Washington mist that doesn’t look too bad but will soak you through in short order.
This is one of my favorite times of year.
Everything appears clean and the closeness of the clouds seems to take the edge off of the world. It is still and quiet here on my deck as the world sleeps in for another hour or two and leaves me in peace.
There’s also the fact that the world around me seems more alive on mornings like this; when humanity is muted and the budding greens of the plants, fresh from their evening watering, appear more vibrant in contrast to the grey of the sky.
For the last few days there’s been this positively mental woodpecker flying around the complex. He seems to have decided that the metal chimneys and vents on the roofs are excellent things to bang on…
Every morning I hear his staccato banging on metal – “bbrrraaannng!” – then he calls out in that tarzan-movie jungle bird way that woodpeckers have…
The few times I’ve actually seen him he appears to be a Northern Flicker, which is pretty typical up in the hills, but I’ve never seen one down here in the flat lands. But, the guy is just looking for a mate and they tend to bang on the most resonate thing they can find for this purpose.
He’ll be done in a few weeks if the neighbors don’t have him killed first.
For me, he’s a welcome diversion from the herds of pigeons…