I now know why Hendry David Thoreau said "The bluebird carries the sky on his back..."

As I was sitting on an overlook high above the valley, my husband was off in the distance photographing wild lupine against the outline of some trees scorched in a forest fire. It was another postcard blue sky day.

I was looking across at the jagged mountain peaks, wondering if the bears were out and roaming yet, when I thought I saw a portion of the sky move.

As quick as a glance, I spotted a fluttering of blue drop from the canopy above and land on a bare branch nearby. A mountain bluebird!! The kind that is solid sky blue, from breast to wings, with only the faintest little clouds of white showing up near it's legs.

I had never seen one here in Washington before. There are bluejays, of course... but this delicate specimen was certainly nothing like it's sqwaking, raucous cousins. It sat quietly on the branch for several minutes - taking flight for another perch only when my dog decided to romp too close to the tree.

And so I smiled and looked back out across the valley. Such a gift seeing poetry come to life right in front of my eyes. A piece of the sky, delivered on silent wings.