I stepped out into the gray dawn one day last week for a quick walk with the dogs before dashing off to a full day that would include the bank, a doctor's appointment, moving TG into her summer sub-let, a drive-by to pick up full size sheets and a hug from her brother at the library where he works downtown, and the grocery store to fill both our cupboards..
Where was I?
Oh, yeah… I stepped out into the gray dawn and heard the most beautiful song…
I was sure I had never heard it before, so when I spotted the vocalist up on top of a nearby telephone pole, I snapped some photos even though I knew it was too dark for them to turn out halfway decent. I just wanted to be able to zoom in and possibly identify this bird with the beautiful voice that blessed me with a morning serenade.
It sat still for the photos, unlike other birds that fly at the first lift of my zoom in their direction. I'm sure it would have serenaded me all day long, but unfortunately it was trash day and I had lugged the heavy bag up to the dumpster. In it went and off the bird flew.
"Thank you!" I called after it.
When I finally had a chance to load the photo on my computer, crop, zoom, and do a Google search, my heart skipped a beat. My morning minstrel had been none other than a young Scarlet Tanager, my all-time favorite bird in the entire World Book Encyclopedia section of birds, which I used to look at constantly when I was growing up.
I always dreamed of seeing one… a real one with real feathers, not a photograph in a book.
And that morning my dream came true. It just proves, once again, there are no expiration dates on dreams.
May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you ina sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
~ An Irish blessing
Long Hollow 
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