It was my suspicion that Pop Blackbird,

had forbidden his batallion to talk to me, since I had taken this later shift. Yesterday, they dispelled that suspicion. He is still keeping his distance, not sure about the intent of my initial acquaintance with the lot of them, if I was not going to keep up with the regimen.
He did, however, allow them to wave good morning to me as I came in to work. Sauntering, as he would put it, in at the unbirdly hour of 11:30. He has completely lost all respect for my industriousness. I waved and so did they.
After that, they went back to their bird maneuvers and I went in to the job.

It looks as though Mr and Mrs. Bluejay are

admiring one another from a distance these days. I do barely see them together. She isn't shaking her tail at him much anymore, like the first days on the branch, in the front of the building. They had absolutely no shame about their love, in those days. They were bent on falling into eachother's eyes and wings right in front of everybody. Now, it is a game of catch as catch can. She has grown a belly and he always reminds her, when she's picking up an extra worm, that the egg is one thing and the belly is another. He's always been a very blunt bird to her.
They are as much in love as ever. The game is a distancing game and I see one on the building and one in the tree and still the reflection of eachother in their eyes is as brilliant as the first day I had the privilege of chaperoning them. If you can call what I was doing, chaperoning. Perhaps a better word for it is monitoring their activities. There is no chaperone that can keep the lovebirds away from eachother.

BRRRR, I spoke too soon...Winter's back!

The chill came as a surprise to us all, in the wild life of the community around my job. The Robin couples found solace in their new relationships and Dad Robin was very happy that he'd gotten them all married off before this morning's chill. He didn't have to answer anyone's nagging questions about life and worms.
This morning found the Robins' discussing their own plans for the nest building for this spring. Mrs. Robin reminded Mr. Robin that they had almost lost all of the new hatchlings to the hail storm in mid Spring last year and that they would have to be more careful at their choosing the spot for this year's nest. He acted like he really cared, but that was not at all what he cared about this morning. Don't worry my beloved, we made it through, didn't we? Mrs. Robin could scream! Doesn't he remember how we nearly lost all of our children how can he tell me not to worry. The argument became intense as Mr. Robin accused Mrs. Robin of not trusting his judgement because of one storm and Mrs Robin accused Mr. Robin of foolishly leaving the decision to chance and circumstance and Mrs. Robin left for a breather to go and see what one of the young couples would be up to this morning.
Oh, Well!

Mr. Robin was in a singing mood yesterday.

Evidently, they celebrated valentines day early, also. He is ordinarily so grumpy, with all of the children couples taking his time with his sweetypie. He can't stand all of this attention to their needs that Mrs. Robin does. That is her way of keeping his attention. She gave him a whole day yesterday and he was singing at the top of the trees, just like after the first one got married and he thought that they were gone...
He's learning to juggle his selfishness of Mrs. Robin's attentions with some other occupations now. Instead of moping, like he used to. Now, he takes some time all to himself on occasion.
Each of the other robin couples found a tree to hide out and make up from the social differences with them. I can't wait to see how many nests we will see in the next coming weeks. Robin eggs should be all over the place. I never realized that robins celebrated Valentines Day.

Mrs. Robin so loves the NC Spring...

She remains the socialite for the entire outside of the building. She has complete control of the social calendars of all of the young couples these days. They don't know what else to do, now that they've gotten over the arguments about the social habits of the Northern vs. the Southern birds. Yesterday, she gave me a surprise party and it was so sweet. The whole lot of them were cooking something up, while I was on my first break. Mrs. Robin gave me a glaring look, as though they had planned this, for quite a while and I hadn't accomodated them. I had on nice shoes and hadn't been out walking. They were all angry with me and told me to go away.
I was nearly so offended, that I didn't want to walk on the second break that I had. Overcoming my lazy bent, I walked around and the robins seemed inordinately aware of my movings. They seemed to mark my every step and kept popping one of them who was accidentally shouting surprise after every turn. I thought that they incorporated me into some new game of theirs and concentrated on my own concerns and worries and calculations.
Mommy doesn't see, I heard Mrs. Robin say, That is why we have to help her. I started looking around at that, trying to figure out what would interest them that I see. I don't dig in the dirt anymore, I thought, what could they be referring to?
When I made the third turn and little robin yelled surprise for the 5th time, I wasn't startled at all and I wasn't looking, but that was when they all sat down in formation, on the side of the building. I just went back to my prayers and concerns to God and kept walking. Just then I saw them and my mouth flew wide open in shock and surprise, the most precious gift of the day, next to Ezra's drawing. A small bunch of newly bloomed daffodils, the first of the season were just popping out. "We knew you would do that. Aren't they beautiful?" they said and then they went back to their fun and play. Mrs. Robin hung around to reprove me for not walking in heels and how she almost spoiled the surprise herself, when she saw me finally out there. We had a really nice lunch together.

The Thaw has brought birds from far and near to Charlotte.

All around there is a mess from the recent Snow, frost and thaw. The birds seem to flock to Charlotte to get out of the mess. We are enjoying the view. I hope they stay around. It is beautiful here.

Mrs. Cardinal loves the snow day.

She and her children were playing a snow fort in the tree next to the building, this morning when I got in. I don't see the Blackbird family, now that I have a later schedule. My later schedule allows me to see the children before they go to school, but Pop Blackbird has written me off of his friend list. I hope he gets over it. I really used to learn alot from him.
Instead, this morning, it was the Cardinal family showing off covering eachother in the snow. I don't really know them yet, but I do hope that when Mrs Bluejay gets better from her morning sickness, she will introduce us. They are such a beautiful family.

It makes me sentimental

When I pass that precious tree where I first chaperoned the bluejay couple. They have never spent an hour in my view eyeballing one another since. Now they are so independant of eachother. Ms. Bluejay coaches me on my figure and how to show off to my husband and children. Today she embarrassed me right in front of my Sunday school class. If you take one more bite of that cupcake I am coming right through the glass! she snorted at me. I didn't listen, but I should have. I am glad she is my friend like that. They kept all the other parts of their family secret to me and have never introduced me to their children like the robins. But anything about love and showiness, if there is some kissy face stuff or new smushy couple ways they've started they seem to say, lets show this one off to Jayne. I just love it.
The branch is now sacred and even when they go to that tree to talk and powwow, they don't touch that branch. That is the branch where they found eachother in eachother's eyes. Who you are in love is who you are in eachothers' eyes and they fly in that identity. I guess I learned that from the bluejays and they carry me with them as they spend eachother on eachother. Don't forget the branch where we found eachother they always say to me...