Sunday February 9, 2025: A Small Moment of Delight

Birds!

Welcome, I’m Mary Louisa Locke, the author of the USA Today best-selling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series and the Caelestis Science Fiction series. In this daily newsletter, I reflect on my life as an indie author trying to age gracefully. Occasionally, I will also publish some of my shorter fiction in this newsletter to read for free.

Daily Diary, Day 1621:

The birds I see at our birdfeeder that is right outside the dining room table I use as my desk provide me with small moments of delight several times a day, but yesterday I actually got some photos to share with you all.

Normally it is hard to get any photos of birds at the feeder because as soon as I move close, they fly away. Consequently after tons of unsatisfactory attempts, I no longer bother, even when the tiny spice finches crowd into the feeder (I’ve seen as many as eight at a time.) It is enough to simply enjoy watching their antics.

But yesterday, I had moved to stand next to the table with my phone in my hand when I saw a bunch of these tiny birds sitting on a branch of the rather anemic bougainvillea outside our dining room window. Of course, when I turned to take a picture, they all flew away, but over a few seconds, first one spice finch, and then another, and finally five, came back to sit, bringing me such delight!

What were your moments of delight this week?

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