The Happiness of the Birds

It rained this afternoon. A sudden, brief thunderstorm accompanied by a downpour. Usually thunderstorms pass over without rain, or I can see the rain coming down out of them, but it is miles away on the prairie. Today it came down tight on the place. And it made the birds very happy.

My garden is completely fenced to keep deer and rabbits out of it. As the rain fell the birds lined up on the fence, opening their wings to it and doing that fidgety little dance they do when they are enjoying getting wet and washing themselves while balancing on a thin wire. It was great fun to watch their pleasure from my office window.

They act the same way when I turn on the sprinkler in the garden, too. They gather, preen, wash, and do their little dance of delight.