“The bird, a nest; the spider, a web; man, friendship.” ~ William Blake
There’s a cold change in the air. Autumn is well and truly here at the farm. That means stoking the fire each night, and digging out our jumpers and extra blankets for the beds.
A few weeks ago I sat on the veranda, discussing the Bluesfest program with my neighbour, and how fabulous our Easter was going to be. As we sat, drinking tea, I combed my hair to get the knots out of it before I washed it. To be tidy I put the hair that got caught in my comb into a plastic tub, ready to go in the compost.
While we sat drinking tea and talking, a cheeky Willie Wagtail (a small fantail bird) came clicking and clucking and chattering on the veranda rail beside us.
To our surprise it darted down to my tub of hair, grabbed a strand and flew off with it.
My neighbour and I then decided to take a tour of our orchard. Autumn is a great time to prune fruit trees, so that they are well shaped and become strong bearers. We trimmed a few trees, and talked music for the rest of the afternoon. When we came back to the veranda, to get our empty cups and bring them into the kitchen, almost all of the hair had gone. There were just a few strands left in the bottom of the tub.
Yesterday morning I followed the very chirpy Wagtail down to a corner of the woodshed.
Miss Willie Wagtail had taken my hair to build her nest, all cosy for winter, and ready for babies in Spring. It seemed to me an ultimate act of recycling.
I hope the nest is comfortable for her. And that she’s blessed with a healthy, happy family!
