Wood's walk warbler

This morning we went to pick up the tractor/mower from the tractor doctor. It's an old Honda that they don't make any more, but it's paid for. As we were driving to the tractor doctor's office and operating room, it occurred to me that, if I had my druthers, I'd have a pair of draft horses and the equipment to go with them instead of the gas-powered, mechanical tractor. That would eliminate some fossil fuel consumption and the need to be concerned about whether replacement parts for a tractor are available. I suspect I could pick up a pair of horses for less than the cost of a new tractor, or maybe not. But, on the other hand, I recall Wendell Berry's response when asked why he farms with horses instead of a tractor was something to the effect that "I like horses more than tractors." Then again (before I run out of hands), there's Jiminy Cricket's song about "it's what you do with what you've got that pays off in the end." One of the things I got this week was a photo of a little bird, the one below. As near as I can tell, it's a male magnolia warbler migrating north. Between songbirds and wildflowers, I'm becoming embarassed at not being more knowledgeable of the names of many of my neighbors.

male magnolia warbler?                        © harrington

The woods are slowly greening with just emerged leaves joining moss's year-round verdure. Nature gives us the gifts of green, bird song and bird-bright colors, if we'll slow down enough to notice and say thanks.

Spring verdure emerging                  © harrington

Moss

By Bruce Guernsey 

How must it be

to be moss,

that slipcover of rocks?—

imagine,

greening in the dark,

longing for north,

the silence

of birds gone south.

How does moss do it,

all day

in a dank place

and never a cough?—

a wet dust

where light fails,

where the chisel

cut the name. 

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