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I remembered today to bring a little bottle of birdseed that I sometimes take with me on my daily walk. The chickadees in my local park are wise to their human friends. Often when I just pause to look at my dear willow trees or what may be the last pair of Canada Geese on the big pond, the little guys come chirping around. Just friendly? Nooo… they want seeds! They are not shy and as soon as I hold out my hand they come swooping down to claim their treats. It’s not easy to take a picture of a bird when he’s balanced on your thumb especially when you’re holding hiking poles with the other hand. So I put a few seeds on a stone in the fallen leaves and, sure enough, down they flew.

To entice my birdie friends I had turned off the main path and plunged into a thicket of leafless bushes and trees.

The silence, the still air was magical. A young couple came along behind me. I offered some seeds so they could hand feed the birds too. They were walking with rough branches as staffs and I joked that they were ready for Compostela. They told me they finish the staffs they find in the woods, Polish them, even add copper and glass ornament or carving and gift them to loved ones.

By the time we parted I think I had convinced them to investigate the Camino. More converts to my obsession.