Mean Girl

The summertime view out my kitchen window is usually so beautiful, sweet, and peaceful. While washing the dishes and tidying up, I watch birds come and go from the feeders and admire whatever flowers are in bloom. The bee balm is at the height of its glory now and is a perennial favorite of mine as it lives up to its name: it is FULL of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. So so sweet, right? I thought so, too, until I met the mean girl.

One evening last week, I stopped what I was doing for a moment when I saw the hummingbird flitting around the bee balm. I laughed when she budged onto the flower that a giant bee had already occupied. She scooted him and his heavy pollen-laden legs away. Then she went to the next flower, where a swallowtail butterfly sat. She darted back and forth and poked at the swallowtail. "Awww - how sweet," I thought. "Look at me creating this playground for nature."

Then, ooof. Dang it. My girlfriend got downright aggressive. She wasn't messing around! She wanted all the flowers to herself and was using her needle nose beak to poke and bully everyone. I couldn't believe my eyes, and once again, I was shocked at how naive I was to think that someone so pretty, clever, and popular would ever be mean. But she was. I'm pretty sure that I have a hummingbird that is a mean girl.

xo