Thursday evening, just before sunset, my teenage son decided he'd had enough of growing his hair out. It was only bout an inch and a half long, but that length required a comb and often produced morning bed head. Growing out hair was way more work than a crew cut, so fashion be hanged. And mom had heavy duty clippers she's used on the dog.
So mom took those clippers and buzzed that growing out hair right off of his head. It fell on to the deck, and we left it there since it was dark when we finished. I intended to sweep it off this morning, but as I sat at the table drinking my morning coffee, I saw something that changed my mind.
Over and over, a little white breasted nuthatch came and gathered clumps of the hair and flew away. I'm sure, somewhere, there is a nest lined with soft, brown hair. Sure, the hair would have broken down and decomposed if I'd swept it to the ground. But that cute, smart little nuthatch is reusing it. That little nuthatch is green.