Garden Life

Every morning around seven, I pour my first cup of coffee and check on the hummingbird crew.

Normally they work the swing shift, clocking in a little before seven in evening. Then they settle into work over the red garden.

Occasionally, a quality control inspector buzzes the window boxes mid-day. But, he’s not a regular.

This year for the first time, a lone male has shown up every morning for weeks.

This guy is as regular as if he were punching a time clock. He buzzes in and gets right down to business, servicing every blossom on the perennial fuchsia. To give you an idea of the scope of his work--the bit of solid grey to the right of the shrub is a six-foot cedar fence.