Whalehouse

It's getting colder outside. The change in weather is bringing with it an obvious change to our backyard. The grass is slowly fading, the leaves are beginning to lose some of their luster, and the air just has a certain colder feel to it. After the summer and fall, Chicago can be a dreary place that lives in anticipation of Spring's majestic return.

I'm no Saint Francis, but I always feel a little bad for animals that live in the city, especially in the winter. I think that they must feel an innate sense of being misplaced...like they should be out in the forest, far from the traffic and concrete. Instead of looking for food in the wild, their alternatives are dumpsters and litter. Instead of a home in a tree or burrow, most seem to live in alleys and window sills. Not very romantic or natural. For all I know, maybe they couldn't care less.

In an attempt to keep some birds safe and warm this winter, we've erected a birdhouse in our backyard. Evidently late summer/early fall is the best time to establish with the bird community that your yard is a welcome place for their moving in. We bought this interesting birdhouse last spring and it cracks me up every time I look at it! Some lucky sparrows are about to have the coolest whalehouse on the block.