goldfinches at my window

I was alone in my classroom at lunch when the grief of missing Katie descended. She came home for the last time at the end of this week for her spring break, five long years ago. This is the time of year my heart reaches for her to come home. These days represent the last times we were together as a family, complete. They were fragmented and unintentional times, lots of kids coming and going, and me going to work. Just normal chaotic family life, no one knew this was it, the end of something special.

My computer wasn't working, so I couldn't write anyone. I called Gabe and Jason to hear their voices and tell them I love them, and that was good. Then over the roar of the OSHA approved air exchanger that runs all day to keep the air in our portable classroom safe (safe from what I don't know) I heard the call of a bird. I went to the window near the road and slid it open to see if I could hear it better, and noticed several Lesser Goldfinches perching on the cyclone fencing just a few feet from the window. They were ruffling their feathers and twittering to each other and eating the flowering tops of the weeds. They continued to fly around and chirp, amazing me with their bright greenish-yellow breasts.

When my students came in from lunch, they were delighted to watch the tiny finches and excited by their flashy yellow bellies. The kids gathered at the window and helped point out the little birds to each other. Suddenly, one child said, there's a nest! When I asked him to describe where, I saw it, low in the crotch of a paper birch tree, and one of the little birds settled into it like it belonged to her. Finally we went on with our day, but after the next recess we spent a few minutes bird watching again. After school, Debbie came over to look out our window too, and decided to go outside and check out the nest. There's an egg in it! A tiny egg! Tomorrow I'm going to try to get some pictures.