I’ve come to cherish late nights out on the back patio, nitecap in hand and all the lights out in the house. Its so quiet and peaceful, and it’s that time of year where the tile on the patio is still a little warm from the afternoon sun and heat. The landscaping lights go off at 10 PM, so, unless there is a moon out, it’s just me and a bunch of darkened houses upon which to contemplate the day past and the one to come.

But I’m not really alone, because there’s this bird over on the next block south of us who provides a symphony of entertainment – calming, soothing, lovely in the night air. I’m guessing he or she might be a mockingbird, because it has what seems like a gazillion calls that it switches around after four or five repetitions. There are chirps, tweets, squawks, and every other kind of bird sound. Some soft and lovely, others brash and auduacious. All of them incredibly beautiful.

I often find myself wondering if there is a heaven, whether there are pretty sounding birds like that nightbird to accompany one’s journey through eternity. I’d like to think so. After all, the nightbird’s calls are a thing of beauty, lovely and unique in God’s creation. Can you imagine? A sun-splashed golf course during the day, a quiet night with a cocktail and the nightbird to keep one company. Sounds like heaven to me!