It doesn’t quite fit with the expectations of Thanksgiving. It wasn’t even the same time of year. But today, for a few quiet moments, i took time for a few moments for reflection. At my time of life, reflection comes a lot more frequently.

It was close to midday. Maureen had gone shopping. A few tasks around home had been completed. Preparations for smoking the turkey had been accomplished. Some financial matters had been addressed, a post had been completed. It had been a good, productive morning.

i took a break and moved out to the backyard patio. It was Southwest corner incredible. The sun was rolling across the heavens. My seat was bathed in warmth. The autumn’s early mornings out here are best in a long sleeve shirt. Not much more. It is cool. But at this moment, i could feel the warmth flowing over, into me.

i thought of my mother.

When Estelle Jewell and her husband would spend a month or so with us in the early winters, she would often disappear around this time of day. i would find her in our courtyard or one of the backyard patios. She would be sitting in a chair but leaning back basking in the sun fully clothed.. Her eyes would be closed. She would be absorbing the Southwest corner sun, undoubtedly reflecting. It is a pleasant memory for me, catching her in such repose.

She and Jimmy Jewell loved to watch humming birds. They had a couple of those sugar water hanging things to attract the small birds outside their home. She would report her sightings of the little things with glee.

i’ve reported here, with the funning of Jim Hicks, of our humming birds. Since Maureen and our longtime friend and landscape expert, Paul Shipley, have turned most of our yard to native blooming plants, the hummingbirds have proliferated.

Sitting there basking in the sun this morning, a humming bird dropped in and hovered to a succulent’s bloom just beyond the patio. Flitting about, the humming bird fed off the blooms, hovered some more, dashed about and returned.

It seemed during its hovers, the humming bird was studying me.

Now, i’m not into physic kinds of things. But i’ve got to tell you in those moments of the warmth of the sun and that humming bird studying me, i felt as if i was connecting with my mother.

Whether it was that or not is irrelevant. i connected with her, and in my reflections, i silently paid tribute to an incredible woman.