The Bird Patrol (Very Important Work)

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I guess Luna thinks she’s in charge of bird patrol (which we don’t need). But she is part hound. There’s a big tree behind our house which is tall and apparently home to suspicious birds. And every single morning, those birds have the audacity to sit there. So, Luna barks not aggressively. Not wildly. Just firmly. As if to say, “I see you and I claim this yard.”

She stands tall all seventeen pounds of her announcing her presence like she’s guarding an estate instead of a backyard in Arizona. But here’s the interesting part. She never barks at the hummingbirds.

We have three hummingbird feeders in our yard, and those tiny, delicate birds zip around like little jewels in the sunlight. Luna watches them. She tilts her head. But she doesn’t bark. It’s like she knows they belong. Big tree birds? Questionable. Hummingbirds? Approved. I don’t understand her system — but I respect it.

Garden Inspection

After Bird Patrol is complete, she makes her way toward my garden beds. This is the inspection phase. She sniffs around the bell peppers, checks on the tomatoes, and walks the perimeter like a tiny supervisor. I always imagine she’s thinking: “Everything appears to be in order. “When my bell pepper bloomed for the first time, I ran inside to tell BigDog like I had won something.

But Luna had already done her inspection, she he knew about the pepper before I did. Gardening is new for me. Raised beds, patio pots, learning as I go. And every morning, Luna walks it with me. It’s part of our morning routine, growth and life moving forward.

Why This Matters

The birds. The hummingbirds. The garden inspection. It’s all part of rhythm. She protects, observes, she checks on growth and she moves on. There’s something poetic about that.

At 67, I’m doing the same. Protecting my energy. Choosing what deserves my attention.
Checking on what’s growing. Ignoring what doesn’t matter. And yes, sometimes barking at the wrong birds. But always starting the day with intention.