We were promised snow and sleet on Saturday, so that meant an earlier-than-planned bike ride under chilly gray skies (yes, the sky was chilly, not just the air). My first stop was the Waverly Farmer’s Market for coffee and that special spice mix N. likes to put on everything, the one sold in tiny packets by the lady who also sells all the mushrooms. Well, it’s winter, so no mushrooms, no mushroom lady, and no spice mix. I finished my coffee as I strolled the market with the few other souls out in the cold shopping for turnips and pine boughs before hitting the first craft market of the day, in the lovely space occupied by the local flower merchant. The building smelled like Holiday and I poked around, wishing I could buy one of each. And then it was back to the bike for a ride over to Hampden for brunch and a quick errand. I unlocked my bike from the street sign on the southwest corner of 32nd and Barclay, right next to this bush that had clearly hit its winter-overing a while ago. You can’t tell in this picture, but the thing was filled with tiny sparrows who were chattering away as if someone had left the shopping list at home. And then the bush was silent. I’m not sure how they all knew to shut up at the same time, but I waited a minute, and they all started up again, a good reminder to listen closely–there are songs out there in the trees.