Hummingbirds

Having an appreciation of life is an important part of conservatism. I realize this more with each passing year. We use the land and its resources to live and survive, and we give back to it. We will never receive the recognition for our appreciation of the outdoors and the life contained in each eco-system.

I have had many close encounters with animals over my many years of enjoying the outdoors. I have been five feet away from wild deer looking directly at me at the Dunes Lake Shore in Michigan City, Indiana. I don't think I have ever been as close today to a more fascinating animal than the hummingbird. (Please let me walk away from politics for a few moments.)

I know I am getting older. I am not quite 40, I still have just over a year and a half to go. I am starting to do those things I told myself I would never do. I garden and I feed the birds. I received a hummingbird feeder as a gift recently.

For the first few weeks, it just hung. Then suddenly, the tiny bird came, but was scared off from the excitement of getting me over to the window. As they became more secure with the location of the feeder they began to visit more frequently. I would notice when I was out in the yard, they would fly over and away--still not comfortable with my presence.

Today, I picked some new ripened tomatoes and went in through the backdoor. I noticed it flying over the house. I fumbled for my keys in the doorway, and there it was just a foot away. I watched its reflection on the door's glass.

As the storm moved closer, I went outside to watch. I stood in the same door way when suddenly the little humming bird was flying just a foot away from my face. It wasn't sure what to do, and it probably feared for its life. I stayed still and it decided it would fly off. I went to sit down on the step, and it came back.

These little birds are about the size of a mouse. They are like little race cars--quick and agile. It was just so amazing to be that close to one considering how timid they are.