Little Friend
We walk on the prairie. O is in pre-school, so we get a few hours to walk the trails, and talk. For each trail choice I say to V: please you choose. I feel done with choosing.
O is our main birder. He listens to bird stories, books and podcasts. One night I asked him, “Ok. It’s late. What do you need to go to sleep?” And he said: All I need to go to sleep are, my socks off, my pants off, my stuffed cats, and a podcast. Mainly for his podcast he listens to the Burgess Bird book.
I notice on our walk how time seems to flow differently on different types of paths. If I chose for myself I would stick to the limestone paths, rarely diverting into grass or dirt paths. But V chooses these side paths.
Time seems to expand on these side paths. We spend time not covering ground, but slowly and taking time to notice stuff, like the slew, the “idol” of Mary deep in the forest. We stop frequently to listen for birdsong.
The songs we hear mostly on this walk are from song sparrows. The song sparrow is called Little Friend in the Burgess Bird book. One thing I have enjoyed about my family becoming birders is this appreciation of listening to birds, an appreciation of quiet, and open attention. Listening for little friends.