I was being watched. It took me a moment.
It was holding quite still, perched on my Babcock peach tree, which does not get enough sun and so is not very big but has a few lingering flowers still.
Now that it had my attention it belted out one loud chirp, waited a beat as if to consider the thought, then, a second.
How did that tiny thing make that huge sound? How on earth did I of all people hear–it really was, (as it took off), it was a hummingbird.
It had apparently decided I was harmless so it went around me to taste a flower on the Indian Free peach, probably creating new fruit for me right before my eyes.
Then it landed on the nearest branch and went back to looking curiously at me from within arm’s reach.
Where it stayed until at last I raised the phone in my hands, set on camera, hoping.
Nopenopenope ‘bye!