After a week of uncomfortably high temperatures, the Earth's fever finally broke. What followed was a deluge of rain, soaking the ground and everything around it. The pores of the heavens released the moisture that had built up from days of heat. Lightening bolts illuminated the starless sky. Thunder rumbled, and the land trembled.
As dawn's light began to twinkle on the horizon, Mister Blue and I checked on our babies. They had just spent their first night in a frightening thunder storm.
They were very happy to see us.
"Mama!" cried Jackie Blue, "don't make us stay in here any longer! We want to come with you and Daddy!"
"We can do it, Mama," echoed Blue Velvet.
Elijah Blue fluttered his wings and looked hopeful.
There was no time to lose. More rain was on the way. We would have to get in some quick flying lessons if these fledglings were to survive the days ahead.
Well before the landlord was awake, Mister Blue and I lead our newly fledged babies through some drills in the trees outside her window. We knew she would be sad to miss seeing the babies fly away for the first time, so we called our good-byes to her in those early morning hours from the nearby trees. I hope she heard us.
In only 18 days, our babies went from a clutch of eggs, to hatchlings, to nestlings, to fledglings. Now they'll stay with Mister Blue and me for the next few weeks while we teach them to find their own bugs and to become strong fliers. Their older brothers and sisters will be around to help, too. In fact we'll all pretty much stay together until Fall.
Sooner or later they'll find their own mates and build their own nests for next season's brooding. Maybe they'll even come back to see the landlord with the mealworms, the hose mister, and the camera.
"You know, Bonnie Blue," sighed Mister, "they probably won't stay around here when they raise their own babies."
This was true, I had to admit. Our journey wasn't over yet, though, and besides,
"Tomorrow is another day."
Want to start at the beginning?
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