Summer daylight lingers long this far north, making it hard to convince children the day is done.  This evening with no rain kept big and small outdoors while I was inside beginning to dress little people for bed. Their daddy came back to fetch them out again to show us what he and the boys had found in the tree outside the window, a beautiful ring-necked pheasant roosting just overhead. 

Our landlord tells us the bird has long been resident in that tree. Owing to this tenure, Allen discussed rules for good neighbors with the children. No pestering of the bird will be tolerated he explained.  He was here first after all. 

I am so glad he has decided to stay. 

"In summer quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see,

the bird still hopping on the tree,"

from Bed in Summer, Robert Louis Stevenson