once all the leaves

flew south for winter

i found a treasure

 seen out the studio window

the same day 

sunset came on

with applause and fanfare

 to the west

and to the east

later i decided to

go to an opening

at the brush gallery at slu

i met the amazing andy and inga hamilton

and saw their installation

ELMENTALS, Bird

 a good artist's talk, like a conversation,

and wandered the gallery attentive to this 

positive thing going on.

and then i saw these: 

what you can't quite see is the tan paper i knew it was slippery elm

and the wings are pure aimee lee

yes, these are her birds

flown west and maybe north to visit

wow

the paper she made here

so i met inga and andy,

 excitedly asked them about how they found aimee.

turns out they met in belfast when she was there

doing a residency last year.

we had a chat later on, and it also turns out

that the brush folks and melissa know ian,

that "kid from north russell" 
who does amazing drawings

my firstborn

robinsong

 this morning, before work i heard my first robin song. first, that is, since 2010.

then on the way in i saw my first robin.

starlings have been back and are checking out the two nest sites here, 

in an eve and in the crooked old kitchen chimney.

and i've been listening to redwing blackbirds for almost two weeks. 

they hang out on my neighbor's sugar maple.

it's sugar season, and a student brought in the first syrup he boiled. 

he played hooky yesterday to boil. 

a very proud young man.

when the maple sap is running, folks just get happy. 

there's certainty that winter's winding down, spring is approaching.

there's hope and longer days.

we can still get big snow, still get bitter cold. still have icy conditions.

but if you sleep with your window opened, you'll hear robins in the morning!