One afternoon early last spring, I found my long, clear, tubular plastic bird feeder on the backyard patio concrete, scarred with a long crack along one side. It had been in questionable condition throughout the prior year, losing two of its four plastic peg perches to overweight pigeons or squirrels practicing the trapeze. Well, last winter got to it somehow, and in the spring, it let go of its hanger and plummeted to its functional demise.

And I forgot to take care of the backyard birds over the summer and fall.

Well, last weekend, I finally remembered the birds, and picked up a replacement feeder and some fresh bird seed, and set another feeding station up for them, which dangles directly out of my back door.

Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday.

No birds.

This afternoon? Birds.