On bluebirds, bats, and short-short stories

A charmed day. Fickle March was running hot. A record 85 degrees today in these parts. Good things happening:

1. Sapphire Wink. Another pair of eastern bluebirds have apparently taken up residence in the second birdhouse, this one in our front yard. Unusual, since bluebirds are pretty shy about coming to feeders, and prefer meadows. The two of them sat on the power line, swooping down to gulp insects. Beautiful plumage. A sapphire wink, every time the male fluttered by.

2. On winning garden gloves and other cool stuff. I am honored that two of my short-short stories--the ones in the previous entry, in fact-- were chosen among the winners of Gardenrant's first short-short fiction contest. Check out all 100-plus entries.

3. Batty Love. Okay, and on this balmy night, sitting on the front porch under the moon with a glass of wine, I watched two bats zig and zag in that loopy, erratic, confident way. So happy they're back out this spring...hope they've checked in our bat house out back.

4. First Drafts. And now for something completely different. Well, tangential. Sort of. Speaking of rousing from hibernation...Spring is so full of awakening, potential and birth and energy and blinking in the sun, it seems to me a perfect time for first drafts. To quote John Dufresne (again), "In the first draft, rely on spontaneity, rely on inspiration, follow your tangents, pursue your blunders...all first drafts are experimental, chaotic, messy, and all take time, energy, patience, persistence, and devotion...The purpose of the first draft is not to get it right, but to get it written."