spring-loaded

For the past month, our weather has been spring-loaded.

Temperatures have ranged from below 30 to over 80

and enough snow, rain and hail has fallen

to take us from drought to flood.

Through it all, a robin built her nest next to the house

and laid her eggs.

She carefully rolls them every 40 minutes,

while fending off marauding squirrels and jays.

The eggs have begun to hatch.

Thunder and lightning crash, and the wind rocks the cradle.

Hail hurls stones at her until, to my amazement,

her mate swoops in, lands on her and

spreads his wings to protect her and the nest.

It's brutal out there, and the drama is wrenching.

It's just one family of robins,

but they're playing out the game of life.

The rule is:

robins live to make baby robins.