On first outing, air heavy, holding an odor, not a pleasant odor, definitely not fresh air. The sun bright. Clouds side by side like cotton balls. We did not listen for birds until a short while ago and surprise – a Wild Turkey was heard along with: Blue-headed Vireo, Veery, Eastern Phoebe, White-throated Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo.

     Zayne looks toward the pond, barks. A few sparkles appear as sun shines on rain drops caught here and there. Eight birds perhaps discussing the sun, the rain of yesterday: Northern Cardinal, Pileated Woodpecker, American Crow, Blue-headed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat. Ribs of clouds. Light breeze.

     Like bailing a sinking ship, I tossed bowls, gallons of water from the caving-in hot tub cover, one clasp snapped loose. No songs heard above the rush of rain. One brave bird sat briefly on the fence, dove at something, flew away. Zsolt wanted to go inside when rain first touched him. He turned. He saw me behind him. He kept going. Everyone gets dried, gets a whole biscuit except me. I get coffee in a red cup, graham crackers, pills, supplements. The giants returned to their room to reclaim warm places. Ruger, a hazard in the dark hall watching, I almost stepped on. Raindrops remain on my glasses. I don’t dry them, nor my hair. I will be bailing again soon.

     He came home from Vietnam in a coffin. Today, my brother’s birthday. 58 years since I’ve seen him. Gray clouds of yesterday remain. No sun sighted. The stream claimed again the ground she occupied in early spring. Thunder yesterday. 4 hours of thunder that shook the house, gathered discomforted dogs around me, thunder that bellowed “be afraid.” Lightning. Hail like someone throwing rocks against windows. There are no bowls of water in the lawn. The swallowing hole in the space between my car and boulders, filled more than once, reopened.

     As if they hadn’t seen me for days (although I was never out of their sight) the three gather at the gate as I come in. Zayne jumps, all four off the ground like a ball bounced. He runs. Zsolt nuzzles my hand. Ruger watches from the ramp. Some rain overnight, can’t gauge the stream for the thick lush green. Iridescent spider strings appear to hold fence corners together, keep trees stable. Clouds like a light snow in places, sky blue showing through. The Ovenbird, the first heard, joined by 11 others: Magnolia Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, White-throated Sparrow, Black-and-White Warbler, Canada Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing, Brown Creeper, Common Yellowthroat, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe.

     The blue, cloud-mottled sky, the sun of 0500 has been replaced with gray. Rain to begin in 47 minutes. A Least Flycatcher was the first to be heard, quite often it is the Ovenbird. Joining the chorus: Eastern Phoebe, Canada Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, White-throated Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird, Black-and-White Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler, American Crow.

     Fog magnifies first rays. Sun, white, spotlights spider strings jumbled inside chain links. At her angled touch, Soleil morphs raindrops clinging to the fence into shining diamonds, into radiant rubies. As I watch, rain falls over the pond like a mystery, like a scene from a play. In reality, the merest breeze awakens rain sleeping on leaves.

     Sky, gray, not threatening. Leaves gather momentum in a breeze, settle down to stillness again. Sparse sprinkling keeps lids on paint cans, keeps him from working. Merlin listens while coffee drips in the kitchen, while I walk about with the three. I forgot Merlin was on the deck, I forgot the door left open until I placed the coffee cup on my desk, more specifically on the daily planner where nothing has been written.

     Well past sunrise, bright. The three have found places on the rug since I moved my desk which Zsolt would prefer to be under and yet, my feet and a paper shredder don’t make room for him. Coffee strong, unusually bitter. A few reminders of clouds on blue. No songs. No breeze. Yesterday, I glimpsed briefly a Great Blue Heron taking flight, heading downstream, not toward the nest. I’ve never seen a fledgling. Some mornings geese are heard and a rooster. Not this morning. When the cycle of feather renewal comes, birds conserve energy, decrease singing.

     Clouds, some formed, some pieces coming together in a bright blue sky. Sun flickers through leaves a slow dance shadowed on linen curtains. Air free of humidity. Only a few voices: Black-throated Green Warbler, common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, Eastern Phoebe. Mosquitoes hungry. No spider webs to catch them. Pond higher after the deluge yesterday. Daisies among tall grasses.

     Mild gray cocoon of sky. No sun, orange or white. No thunder, nor rain overnight. Subdued songs from a few: Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Black-throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Red-eyed Vireo. A Cepphis Armataria (Scallop Moth) resting in the dark of vinyl siding. False Baby’s Breath reveals blossoms. In the once perpetually wet place, Equisetum (pictured) a fern looking like a dwarf forest of pine.

     Looking up, the sky seems between pale gray and slate blue but a camera reveals clouds with light shining through. On a wispy breeze, samara seeds compete with the fluff of goldenrod traveling to unknown places. Birds sing: Gray Catbird, American Robin, White-throated Sparrow, American Crow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo, Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Magnolia Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird.