Bathing beauty

Bathsheba looked no more beautiful to David than the Western Tanager which inspired a communal bath at the fountain yesterday.

From my kitchen window, I did my best to capture the plumage as the avian played hide and seek with the fountain finial. So beautiful. There were lots of friends splashing about; but they were more camera shy. Perhaps worried of what kind of shot the woman aiming a device at them might be.

The fountain was an anniversary gift from my mother. There were times when I thought about replacing it with something larger- something with a deeper bowl that wouldn't need to be filled so often when the weather is hot.

Now that my mother resides up-above, I am permanently at peace not to have "traded-up". Shallow water surrounded by a lip to preen on . An unobtrusive finish. Just enough water gurgling from the center to help sound where healing waters are. On the bird rating scale, such a fountain is a "10."

That my mother chose a fountain with the needs of the birds first is testament to her lasting wisdom. Manufactured fashion flies in and out of favor. When adding to the garden- function first, form follows. That is the recipe for a gift to last beyond the earthly life of the giver.

Top picture of the migratory Western Tanager is courtesy of the Royal Albert Museum of Alberta, Canada.