Two magical gifts, three years apart, same perch, a hummingbird chose our front porch to build its nest in March 2016 and 2019. Despite the comings and goings, mother was not agitated and allowed me to capture these photos.

What a privilege and honor to be privy to this part of nature and Mother Earth. The audio is Mimi Hart and Jimmy Smailes on vocals, Jimmy Smailes and John Borchard on guitars, covering a Patty Larkin tune, Open Arms (Don’t Explain). Special thanks to Julie Zickefoose for her amazing homage, Baby Birds: An Artist Looks into the Nest (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016).

Open Arms (Don’t Explain)
by Patty Larkin

You’re born into a strangers’ world
You learn the language word by word
Take a step and then you turn
And you don’t explain

Mama hold her arms out too long
Daddy makes his arms look strong
Take another step and then you’re gone
And you don’t explain

And when the rain comes down
You feel like a waste of time
Fall into those Open Arms
Don’t explain

The river runs along the road
That’s the story you get told
They tore the mountain down for gold
And they don’t explain

Teacher learned the truth from books
Preacher did all that he could
Reaching for you but it does no good
And you don’t explain

And when the rain comes down
You feel like a waste of time
Fall into those Open Arms
Don’t explain

It’s all…