This week the brilliant orioles have returned and Kathy thinks she spotted the first hummingbird—they usually arrive within a day of each other. We have heard the ethereal song of the wood thrush. The ferns are up and the grass is greening up. All the woods is waking up.

Koda-the-Forest-Kitten is in his glory, rolling and tumbling and soaking up the morning sunshine. Simon the Elder is spending much more time out-of-doors. And our new little one, Paddy, is finding his place and feeling that it is home—and that gives us great joy when remembering the starving, frightened thing he was a few weeks ago. Kathy is determinedly ‘introducing’ the yet-to-be-friends. Paddy is all for it, but ‘the boys’ don’t think we need another member of the family. Kathy will get them there.

Meanwhile another transition is happening as well. Most of you are aware of my recent opening of a Substack account for my writings on the defense and survival of our democracy. I have thus far been sharing almost all my Substack posts here on Facebook. That will begin changing now, as I share fewer of those posts here, saving this ‘campfire’ space for things of the woods, and birds and flowers and ‘cabiny’ stuff. I will still share some of those Substack posts here, especially a really good one, but I encourage folks to please follow me there now and then, for both these aspects of life in today’s world are vital and important to me. And without defending the good things of life, democracy and beauty and wild places and wild things, we will not have them into the future.

But for now, Koda is rolling around. The oriole is singing loudly. Sparky the Cardinal, too. It’s time to fill the bird feeders. And maybe, maybe go for a walk in the woods.

(You can find me on Substack at Notes From The Campfire@douglaswoodauthor)