Hot Lot

It was hot in the Target Store parking lot today. Nearly 100 degrees. But some of us still have to hustle to get by; especially the birds.

I saw three sparrows working on some sort of crumb pile in the parking lot. They were excited to make such a find.

I knew I had some bird seed in the trunk of the car and decided to put some under a nearby locust tree and watch them "discover" a new bounty.

Didn't take them long. I watched from a few spaces away. First one, then two and a third one joined in. They began at the edges, not plopped right in the middle like one would imagine.

Excitement is not the word for it. Maybe overwhelmed would be a better fit. Soon they came to accept it and even made short trips to the tree limbs to wipe their beaks and take a look around for competition.

Now that's a real happy spot in my afternoon! Try it some time. You will be blessed.

In the bottoms, In the night

Hot summer nights and you can hear them hounds callin' down in the bottoms. They're on the chase. Up one holler and down another; tongues just a hangin' out. Gasping for air in this humid night.

Never once do they think of quittin'. They won't stop 'till somethin's treed, caught or gone.

Listen to 'em down there. It's what they was borned for. It's what they do. Just them and the night and the quarry. They don't have to plan it, or draw it out, or even think how or why.

They just do it; 'cause that's what they are.