Mother Nature, Birds, and Forest Fires

I don't have pictures. I'm not sure they would portray the colors in our sunsets--reds, oranges, yellows that seem to reflect the very fires that are spewing the ash into our skies. While some are watching the fires, fearing for their property and lives, we are staring in wonder at the marvelous sight. Doesn't seem right.

Then we have birds. Little birds. Thousands of little birds. They are gathering for their annual vacation in the south. They sit on the power lines, spread out as far as one can see.

In my yard, at the new picnic table, in the only breezy spot on the planet, I watch these little birds randomly picking spots on the wire. Well, I thought randomly:

-Those with white tummies sit on the top wire, those with dark tummies (about 1 in 50) are sent away and sit on the bottom wire.

-They all face the wind/breeze, all lined up like students waiting for instructions to go into the school: Randomly they come to the line and hop into the nearest spot. But wait! Sometimes the ones on the line won't let certain newcomers park there, but later, a different arrival is given the spot. And then there is the occasional bird sitting cross-ways to the rest, taking up two spaces while searching the sky. At last, the latecomer arrives and both now sit facing the breeze like all the rest.

-And as if on cue, they all take off, circle randomly, or not, and begin the parking ritual all over again.

And what to you do when you have a house to build in 95-100 degree weather (that's 100-119 degrees in the sunny, but wind-free basement)? The dew point, by the way, is in the upper 70s.