I wish this was my photo of the day... but it's not. I actually took this photo back in April, on one of my trips to PA. It was taken at the Gold General Store (in Gold, PA)... and this gorgeous nest was sitting on a window sill near the front door.

According to Wikipedia... "A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs and/or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building. Human-made materials, such as string, plastic, cloth, hair or paper, may be used.

Generally each species has a distinctive style of nest. Nests can be found in many different habitats. They are built primarily by birds, but also by mammals (e.g. squirrels), fish, insects (e.g. wasps and termites) and reptiles (e.g. snakes and turtles).

The urge to prepare an area for the building of a nest is referred to as the nesting instinct and may occur in both mammals and birds."

I have found, being so sick as of late, that I am in some form of nesting pattern myself.

I want to gather myself in a place of refuge... protected from all the elements and the world outside. I want to be safe, warm and happy... and watch the world from a distant perch...

(photo by Elaine A. Russell)