Chapter 41: Chapter 41

By the first week of June, the leaves in the park had unfurled, tinging the sky green. Bird watching was more challenging as the numbers of new arrivals thinned and found easy cover in the swells of new foliage. As the temperature rose, the hum of insects hovered over the woods like an electrical field. The visitors to the campgrounds and beaches sprayed themselves generously with repellent and stayed close to the shore.

One warm afternoon, Aunt Flory and the girls sat out on the porch sipping lemonade while watching birds at the feeder. Ruby, restless from the heat, sat in the swing, humming softly to herself, Zoey dozing beside her.

A blue jay landed nearby, its raucous call shattering her calm. Zoey opened her eyes. Though finely dressed in blue and white checkered feathers, they were the street fighters in the yard and aggressively defended their territory. "Noisy bullies," Zoey complained.