Two years ago two robins built a nest in the bush next to our deck. One morning we went out there and saw four blue eggs. The eggs eventually started to crack open and soon there were four tiny birds in there, with their mouths wide open. The small robins grew bigger. One morning there were only three birds. A few mornings later there were two.

We didn't see those three birds leave the nest.

Then there was one.

I was washing the car and Donna was standing on the deck. Suddenly the bush came to life. The last robin of the four flew out of it. Winged its way into the woods to the south of our property.

" I can't believe we just saw that! " I yelled to Donna. " We saw one of 'em leave the nest! "

Donna and I never had kids. But after that last robin took off, we knew what it felt like to be empty nesters. We'd watched the nest for more than a month. We'd seen the blue eggs start to crack. Watched the young birds grow. Seen that last one fly away.

Last spring we looked to see if the robins would return to that bush. They didn't. But this spring we've been noticing two cardinals who have been spending a lot of time in the bush next to the one the robins claimed. We walk out onto the deck and one of the cardinals flies out of the bush. Lights on a branch in the yard and looks down at us, chirping away as if to say, " Be careful with that bush! "

Donna got down on her knees yesterday and said, " There it is! " A nest. We'll be looking for eggs.

This morning I saw a blue jay on the rail of the deck. He was eyeing the bush. The female cardinal chased it away. As I write this I hear the cardinals chirping away. They're watching that nest, another one that'll be empty before we know it.