BRILLIANT sunshine roused me from my foggy daydreams as Sol took a sneaky peek at the world below from behind a cottonwool autumn cloud. I was sitting sprawled on my deckchair outside my unit as had become my custom at this time of day ever since I took on the formidable duties of a retired gentleman.

My unit block is double story, one apartment wide and eight deep. There are 3 units at ground level with a garage at the end. Outside staircases access the upper level where there are another 4 units including mine – a balcony about 1.5 m (5ft) wide runs the length of both sides of the building with a protective railing that forces both tenants and visitors to use the stairs instead of taking that one giant leap to the ground below.

It was around noon and it had become my habit to relax on the front balcony while I imbibed in a couple of stubbies of mid-strength beer before making myself a salad sandwich and a cup of soup, then indulge in a game of ‘Free Cell’ on the computer while I ate my lunch. After performing that daily ritual and was feeling replete, it was then time for my afternoon siesta.

Oh how inviting my comfy bed looks at that time of the day as it seems to softly beckon me to its warm embrace. I only need a half hour or so beauty sleep, (I’ve been told that I need longer as it has done me no good thus far) but the wonderful feeling of the privilege I now enjoy never seems to dim.

I feel so sorry for all those poor souls out there in the ‘real world’ that have to grudgingly return to their individual grindstones and put their noses back to the wheel after their lunch break as I once did, way back in the dim and distant past.

I emerged groggily from my reverie of random thoughts and was mentally back in my deckchair once more, sipping my beer but still oblivious of the passing world. Suddenly I was brought to attention as I realized I was being watched. A bird was sitting quietly on the balcony railing a safe distance to my left and was intently giving me the once over.

It was making a distinctive ‘squeak, squeak’ as it surveyed me, and I thought to myself, ‘I bet it’s wondering what this strange giant beast is doing here in its domain.”  I said, “Hello Squeaky, what you looking at?” Squeaky jumped in surprise and the look said, “The giant speaks in a strange chirp!”

It continued to sit and ponder for awhile, trying to fathom out just what this ugly unfeathered creature actually was then seemingly, Squeaky lost interest and flew away. That was the first meeting I had with Squeaky. Soon I was to meet his family and many other birds that were to teach me so many things about the magic of Mother Nature…

Dan’s Quote: “For one fleeting moment I heard the sounds….
_____________The singing of a bird, the barking of a dog,
_____________The buzz of a fly, the ticking of a clock….
_____________Then I sank back down into the quicksand of my own thoughts…
_____________And all that joy was lost to me once more.”