Intertribal Life Newspaper -

I plunged my hands in soapy dishwater and went into automatic pilot as usual when washing dishes: Stare through the dirty window above the kitchen sink, wash a glass, rinse it off, put it in the drainer. A plate now. Wash, rinse, repeat.

A flurry of activity on my patio-birds feasting on seed I'd scattered. And not just one bird-seven!

After wiping my sudsy hands on my jeans, I reached for my binoculars. Then I scrambled to the kitchen table and grabbed a scrap of paper. "January 2, 2016-Saw juncos, mourning doves, a blue jay, and a red-bellied woodpecker on our patio this morning!" After...