CITY BIRD FLIES THE COOP

YOU CAN TAKE THE BIRD OUT OF THE CITY,
BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE CITY OUT OF THE BIRD.

FRIENDS, ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. Last weekend we went up to Chicago and I finally had to admit that you can take the Bird out of the City, but you can't take the City out of the Bird. It was an unseasonably gorgeous day, and we took Ursula to the beach. Can you imagine that they have a beach just for dogs? At first she was shy, sniffing at the edge of the water, jumping back when the waves lapped her paws, but when she saw that it was a dog party, a BIG dog party, she high-stepped into the lake, prancing like a circus pony. She barked and bit the water, jumping and frolicking. I thought, “this is home for her.” I've known for awhile that her self esteem has been suffering, since she doesn't get to wear her leash all the time, like the city dogs. I thought about how walking her twice a day would force me to get that exercise I'm always talking about. In Birdland, I only open the door and let her run outside any time. Where's the exercise in that?

WHAT I REALLY MISS
IS THE LAUNDROMAT!

 Speaking of exercise, we had to watch out crossing the jogging path. There is a wide ribbon that goes all the way from Uptown to the Loop, and beyond, in either direction. I've often thought how nice it would be to ride a bike along the beach, but then I saw something that made my heart sing: roller skates! I do have a pair of roller skates, but as soon as I got them home to Birdland, I realized that my driveway is gravel. By the time I got to the mailbox my teeth were rattling in my head. Sometimes don't you just get a hankering for pavement? Here, in Chicago, I could skate to my heart's content and never run out of road!

DON'T YOU GET
A HANKERING FOR
PAVEMENT? 

 I sat in my Uptown office (a grocery store coffee shop with free wifi) and considered. Some folks tell me that if I were ever to leave Birdland, I wouldn't be able to write these letters anymore, but I say Birdland is a state of mind. Sure, the country gives me lots to look at and write about, but the true heart of Birdland is in noticing small joys wherever we are. Birdland is a choice to be part of the rhythms and the cycles that make up the dance of life. That dance is most present in the natural world, but if we look closely, we can see nature even in the heart of the city.

 And speaking of nature, sometimes don't we just want to get away from it? In Birdland we've been opening the windows at night to let in the breeze, but I can hardly sleep with those spring peepers in my pond! The city is much quieter. You can hear the whoosh of the traffic, but it's kind of soothing. If you close your eyes, it sounds just like the surf of the beach.

You might think I’d miss hanging my laundry out on the line, but truth be told, I'm a little sick of it. What I really miss is the laundromat. The soft scents and the cozy warmth as I fold my clothes on the wide table reminds me of The Pink Lady of my youth. My little laundry line with shirtsleeves and pant legs whipping around in the breeze is for the birds.

Yes, my mind is made up. I have almost all of my arrangements in place. Ursula will come with me, of course, and I've found home for most of the chickens. The only thing I'm worried about is a pair of old hens that require just a little bit of special care. Their names are Lirpa and Loof. They're good hens, but they're dyslexic, so they won't come unless you call their names backwards. If you know anyone who can offer them special care like that, let me know.

Jest in Beauty; Prank in Peace;
April Fool!