"The first Sunday of Lent, as I know, is a great feast.  Christ has sanctified the desert and in the desert I discovered it.  The woods have all become young in the discipline of spring: but it is the discipline of expectancy only.  Which one will cut more keenly? The February sunlight, or the air?  There are no buds.  Buds are not guessed at or thought of, this early in Lent.  But the wilderness shines with promise.  The land is dressed with simplicity and strength.  Everything foretells the coming of holy spring.   I had never before spoken so freely or so intimately with woods, hills, birds, water and sky.  On this great day, however, they understood their position and remained mute in the presence of the Beloved.   Only his light was obvious and eloquent.  My brother and sister, light and water.  The stump and the stone. The table of rock. the blue naked sky. Tractor tracks, a little waterfall. "

- Thomas Merton

I rose early this morning and heard the birds come in singing

3:35:  Field Sparrow “tew tew tew tew tew tewtewtew"

3:40: American Robin “cheer up, cheerily cheerily
3:45: Baltimore Oriole “Her, here, come right here, dear”
3:50: Indigo Bunting “sweet sweet chew chew chew”
3:55: House wren “churff churff churff
4:00: Rose-breasted Grosbeak “chink chink chink”
405: Brown Thraser “Drop it, drop it, pick it up pick it up”
4:05: Yellow Warbler “sweet sweet sweet I’m so sweet”
4:10: white eyed vireo “chick-a-per-weeo-chick”
4:10: Red-eyed vireo “look up, over here, see me, up here”
4:15: Northern Cardinal “what-cheer cheer cheer! Purty purty purty”
4:15: Eastern Towhee: Drink your teee drink your teeee”