remembering Katie on Table Mountain

We spread a blanket in the shade of a huge oak and ate our sandwiches and oranges, then laid back and gazed up at the sky through its beautiful branches, enjoying the play of light upon the leaves. We became aware of birds flitting from branch to branch that had bright yellow bellies, goldfinches again! They were feeding on swarms of insects that seemed to follow the sunlight shifting along the upper branches. It was the perfect place, shady and cool, with a beautiful view and goldfinch entertainment. It was a restful place to come and remember Katie.

Later on we walked along a spring fed brook, admiring all the gorgeous wildflowers along the way. We found at a nice spot to write messages on the balloons and release them. Other people hiking nearby stopped and watched, as if gazing at balloons floating up in the sky was a special experience. I couldn't really feel anything but the beauty of Table Mountain surrounding me, and that was ok. As we were leaving the sun set and we saw two deer in a field nearby. In all that beauty, Nola and Mark and I remembered her.

daddy goldfinch feeding mama goldfinch

It's so hard to teach and catch a picture of this! She starts twittering when he's around, and then the kids at the viewing platform squeal when he swoops down to feed her! At first some of the kids thought they were kissing! I hope to borrow a camera to get some video footage of this!

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.