It was a slow start to the morning. The diner, closed for several days due to inclement weather, had opened up late and the food service was extremely slow. A couple sparrows flit in and out of the diner with a disappointed twitch of their tail feathers. Where was the food? You can almost hear the annoyance in their tweets, "If you're going to be open, then you should have the food ready!" The proprietor bustles into the dining area quickly ladling food into dishes and filling drinking glasses. As she makes her way to the back of the diner, the local commuters start to arrive.
The first to arrive - as usual - is the pompous, strutting cardinal with his dowdy wife. He is a good husband and provider, staking a position close to the food but allowing his wife first dibs. A sudden movement in the corner! Ah, the local gang of goldfinches has arrived to dive and dart amongst the branches positioning themselves to swoop down to the thistle candy counter. The chatter of multiple tweets, dialects, and cadence is drowning out the traffic in the street.
A small group of wrens arrives to partake of the ... oh, oh, a young cardinal is pushing his way past the guests. A small but determined chickadee voices her displeasure but the cardinal is impervious to her demands. Vexed she wings away to another part of the diner to continue voicing her displeasure to any who will listen. The cardinal, settling in for what appears to be a big meal, is interrupted and thwarted! The wrens are back in force having brought the rest of their family. Too much for the cardinal – he’s out of there.
It is quiet now. The guests seem content, their stomachs are full and their thirst is quelled. Oh, there will be a constant of guests streaming in and out of the diner for the rest of the day. It is the social hub of the neighborhood. The food isn’t fancy but it is plentiful. The décor is worn and patched in places. But the guests don’t mind because the view is spectacular, the breeze from the open air ventilation system is fresh and full of promise, and the sun is glancing down through the leafy roof creating a pleasant kaleidoscope of shadows. This might not be the fanciest eatery on the block but the locals like it and that is the only reason this proprietor needs to keep it the doors open.
