Mama-Come-Lately

We have a patio that is in need of updating. As the neighbors put in outdoor lounge spaces with enormous TVs and comfy furniture, all protected from the elements, there is some envy in our house. But our cracked, stained concrete square surrounded by weedy flowerbeds serves its purpose, just as it is.

It’s my preferred morning coffee spot. It’s the Boo’s workspace for projects involving fumey chemicals (using gloves and eye protection). It’s where my husband and I go to step away from work and reset, and if we’re lucky, have a revelation about a sticky problem. (When you work from home, this is crucial.)

We’ve seen a shocking amount of wildlife from our patch of concrete. Hummingbirds regularly zip by on their way to our flowers or the neighbor’s feeder, sometimes just feet from my face. Rabbits make snacks of my perennials and are so complacent they sometimes hop under the table when I’m out there.

This week when I was up at 5 for no reason, I was rewarded with a fledgling owl making teenage owl noises and taking short flights before following its parent home. I once saw deer bound over the fences like they were nothing, and we get the occasional woodchuck waddling around and rooting around for whatever it is they eat. If I time it right, I can see bats catching a few last snacks before returning to their roosts just before sunrise, but the Boo has informed me that 5:30 is too late for that. (He is a night owl like his father, and the patio is one of his preferred wee-hours hangouts.)

We feed the birds all winter, and this spring we saw a male cardinal without feathers on his head. He still makes an occasional appearance, looking for food where it used to be provided. I have feelings for this little guy with a steel-grey dome where his peers have a glorious red crest. When I imagine his life, I wonder if the lady cardinals look beyond his baldness or like him for his plucky personality. Perhaps he tells great jokes or is an exceptionally compassionate listener.

We do sometimes eat meals together out there, and that’s lovely too. The connections we make when we eat outside may or may not be stronger, but they have the advantage of being punctuated by bird sightings and conversations about trees, weather and insects.

Someday we will update the patio, and maybe that will expand the enjoyment we get from it. But I’m betting it will remain my favorite place to let my thoughts drift between sips of my morning coffee.