Wrong

Sometimes it is a wonderful thing to be wrong. I am reminded of this every time I look out our south-facing windows.

My husband and I designed our home, and making scores of decisions was a huge part of the process. Questions were raised such as “Do we really need a bathtub?” and “Can we have a flat roof?”(no and no) But one of the most crucial decisions is the first one: “Where should we put the house on the lot?”

My instant, intuitive response was “in the middle”. My spouse, on the other hand, preferred a site on the south side of the lot and adjacent to a grove of mature pine trees. I demurred, and this is where our house now stands. His judgment was brilliant.

Our views to the east and west are grand vistas. We have a complete view of the sunrise over the lake in the morning and an equally unimpaired view of the sunset over the fields to the west. We get the big picture and are grateful for it every day.

But my husband understood the close-up view is important as well. The pine grove is an entire world of activity that goes on all day and night, and we have ringside seats from our kitchen table.

The various bird families are a constant daytime presence and joy. Being next to the pines, we can discern the first, faint traces of yellow on our male goldfinches, a sure sign that spring is coming. And when a rare occurrence happened a week ago, we did not miss it. A flock of around 100 redpolls came to our feeders.

On a daily basis we get to check out what the juncos, mourning doves, woodpeckers, nuthatches, sparrows, chickadees, cardinals, finches and turkeys are doing. I’m a corvid lover, so the jays are a favorite of mine. Our group of six arrive in a flurry and bounce around like they have springs on their feet. I love their big cousins the crows as well, but they are extremely wary of coming up close to the house. I’ve threatened to hang hot dogs or Ritz crackers in the trees close by to lure them in.

After the sun sets, our nocturnal guests arrive. Watching the raccoons discover a particularly tasty treat never fails to amuse. When discovering a leftover piece of cake, a raccoon will immediately whisk it away to the depths of the woods. Raccoons are, however, ready to share the ordinary fare, seeds and nuts, with their friends. In winter, the deer pay us nightly visits as do my beloved opossums. Once, on a bitterly cold night, I even saw a tiny mouse race up a bush and make a leap into our hanging tray feeder.

The wildfowl bobbing in the lake and the deer in the fields across the road are no more than specks to our uneagle eyes. But thanks to a wise decision, we get an intimate view of wildlife. I happily stand corrected.

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