As I cleaned out the wren house for the winter today, I was delighted to find a lovely little nest on top of the 3″ pile of sticks that filled the bottom part of the house. Mr. Wren did find a mate willing to nest in that house after all. I watched him several times over the spring and summer bring a female to the house and sing his little heart out, trying to make the case for raising young there, and each time I saw this the female investigated a bit but ultimately flew off, leaving Mr. Wren alone to sing again in hopes of attracting a mate. I never saw wren activity around the house, though we had plenty in the nine bark shrub at the back of the rain garden, and it was apparent that someone was feeding on the monarch and swallowtail caterpillars that were abundant on the milkweed, parsley and fennel. I was so pleased to see that he must’ve found a mate for that house (he might’ve had a house in the nine bark as well; I read that wren will take several mates if he can find them) and that all that singing didn’t go waste.

It is these little joys that help keep me sane in these crazy times we live in. And the fall color in our black gum tree is beautiful in morning light.