Chickadee Karma

Some days the chickadees just seem happier than others.  Now, don't get me wrong...chickadees live up to their reputation as being among the cheeriest of creatures.  It just seems that today they are outdoing themselves.  A little on the ADD side, they are my favorite little friends just now.  Tree branch...deck railing...tree branch...deck floor...table...chair...deck rail...and then, finally, they pop over to the "white trash birdbath" on my deck.

The WTBB is a once-beautiful lemon verbena given to me by a friend.  Let's just say that the Ayn Rand school of plant care leaves something to be desired.  I even wrapped Tibetan prayer flags through its branches, hoping that any past life evils the plant had incurred to arrive at its present state would be mitigated.  Not so good.  So, onto the deck it went in a last-ditch effort to bring it back to life.  Nada.  Well, it is sort of big and heavy, so I didn't get around to moving it.  Heavy rains fully saturated the soil so now it is essentially a bunch of dead branches in a giant flooded pot, garnished with colorful prayer flags, quite torn and weathered. 

But, perhaps, is there hope for the WTBB?  A saving grace?  Back to the chickadees.  They love the WTBB.  Hopping up and down the branches, sipping water from the flooded pot, cheerfully chirping away...every day they enjoy the sad karmic state of the verbena.  It is my firm belief that the chickadees are honoring the plant's life in its death.  Has the verbena gone on to be reincarnated as a lush, thriving jungle plant in Costa Rica?  Or perhaps become a well-pruned rose?  Who can truly say?

One thing I know for certain: chickadees + WTBB + summer mornings = the good life.