Nests

One of the things I've been meaning to write about: the birds' nests in winter. What I see out my window, year-round, are trees. Hundreds of trees, thousands -- probably tens of thousands -- of branches. In winter, when the leaves are gone, birds' nests are easily seen. They're everywhere, all kinds, big and small. I can see them in the eaves of the garage, in the branches of the giant cherry and maple trees, and lower to the ground, in the shrubs. My favorite thing, however, is when it snows -- each nest becomes a cup. After a snowfall -- the light, fluffy snow in particular -- all I need to do to locate a nest is to look for a pile of snow in the branches. The nests are like chalices, or cupped hands, full of snow.