Accidental Sighting

by Jim Klassen
(Zurich, Ontario, Canada)

I work for the municipality of Bluewater in Ontario, right next to the infamous Gold Coast of Lake Huron. I was plowing the snow off the narrow sideroad of Bells Line, when my front tire went off the road and I couldn't recover, so I gently let the truck come to a safe and slow stop.

As I waited for the road grader to pull me out, I decided to walk around the truck and hook the chain to the truck when I noticed the sound of a Woodpecker pecking at a roadside maple.

To my amazement, there, high atop the tree was a beautiful black and white woodpecker which I've never seen before. Next to that and ten feet or so below, was a bird crawling up and down, filling the holes which the woodpecker had made, with corn kernels that two blue jays were digging out from under the snow in a nearby harvested corn field.

I found myself talking to the birds as if they were interested in listening and I felt at peace for the time being.

My favourite birds are the two Oreoles that come back every spring, Cedar Waxwings that frequent my property, especially after the spring of 2008 when my family of 6 kids, my wife and I nursed two baby waxwings with rasberries for about a week, then put them in the bottom of a short tray on top of a 6 foot outbuilding roof

It didn't take long for the parents to show up, even as shy as they were, I was still able to talk to them and needless to say we get more every year, since there are an abundant number of wild berry and fruit trees nearby.

Last but not least, we have at least 100 sparrows around all year since my boys and I made many birdhouses and feeders , also in the spring two green Tree Swallows mooved into a sparrow house and I was also able to spend time talking with them, I love the little things that remind me of the immense love and compassion that God has for us all.

Jim Klassen & family