Spring has finally arrived at Mothering Heights, and romance is in the air. The deer are nuzzling. The squirrels are chasing each other around like hyperactive children at recess. The goldfinches have shed their olive drabs for their bright yellow dress uniforms. And Desi, the red-bellied woodpecker, is drumming out the beat to “Babaloo” on the side of the house. There’s a space where the wood clapboard on the second floor overlaps the stone on the first floor. Apparently, Desi has discovered that it produces the perfect resonance to serenade, and perhaps entice, his mate, Lucy. It works. I’ve actually seen her bobbing her head in time. So, we have our little ritual, my feathered friend and I. Every spring, Desi pecks a big hole in the wood, and every fall, Peggy gets up on the ladder with filler and paint to repair it. Ah! The Circle of Life!

Everywhere I look, nature seems to be traveling in pairs. Now, I assure you, I’ve never been into voyeurism (OK, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!), but I couldn’t turn away when I saw a mourning dove sitting on a branch outside the bathroom window the other day, ogling a female. I mean really, how often do you get to see something like this up close and personal? Anyway, they sat there, about 4 bird-widths apart. The male took three hops toward the female, who took two hops away from him. I guess our hero decided he needed more than charm and good looks, so off he flew, returning with a millet seed. As he presented her with his love offering, she turned her head in apparent disdain. I admired her hard-to-get attitude, having often dabbled in that particular art myself. (OK, maybe once.)

Not to be deterred, our Romeo flew off again, this time bringing a nice fat safflower seed. This evoked a token interest at first, but ultimately, he was rebuffed again. I was starting to warm up to this little one. She certainly had no problems with self-esteem, and obviously had a strong sense of her own value. No cubic zirconium for this Juliet. She was holding out for the real thing! It took three trips and a big 2-carat sunflower seed, but he finally won her heart. I was mesmerized as the drama unfolded before my very eyes…. (If you’re reading this aloud, now’s the time to send the kiddies out of the room)…. courtship, engagement, marriage and a very “fervent” honeymoon. The entire process took about 30 seconds. I didn’t actually do the math, but I figured it was probably about 2 months in bird years from the time he asked “What’s your sign?” to her “I think we’re going to need a bigger nest”.

Now, with all of this love-in-bloom stuff going on, I’m thinking, maybe this is the year the handsome Park Ranger of my dreams will come and sweep me away. When I close my eyes, I can almost picture him emerging from the woods, resplendent in his green uniform, carrying a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand.

And a great big sack of sunflower seeds.