I realized today I live in a little world. My own comfortable, neat tiny existence much like the dandelion seed Horton almost sneezed away. There I sit. Each morning I wake before dawn, gather my water bottle and computer gadgets and retreat to Iry's spot on the sofa. It is closest to the wall of windows offering it's views of the river now nearly invisible to me. I snuggle under a fleece blanket and recline the seat. I pin and ponder and post and search. I sip and sip then search some more. I pin, I pin, I pee. I snuggle back under the blanket and sneak peeks out the windows. A slice of orange cuts through the blue black morning and reflects on the water. Quickly and quietly the dawn breaks the dark and it's orange yolk spills over the entire horizon. Jerry begins to chatter then chirp then sing. The little zebra finch reacts to my gently whispering. He watches the window as well softly plucking his millet spray and making a mess. I stare for a moment at the wonder of a new day. My stomach grumples (def. of the act of being grumpy and grumbling at the same time). A piece of cinnamon toasts with extra sugar comes to mind, and a K-cup of mudslide. I slide the electric radiator heater plugged in at my feet closer to my reclined toes. The room is toasty and lends no hint to the raw bitter cold on the other side of the window. I watch the sky lighten as Jerry starts to call out to the sea gulls he hears slowly descending on our pier and stretch of beach below. Soon there are hundreds of birds, including geese and swan chattering about the beach. I will gather their feathers later on my walk while thinking about all the wonderful things I will do with them. I have jars already full patiently awaiting their final destiny. I turn my attention back to my computer and quickly move thru all the terrible news about yet another stars suicide, and the shooting at another school, and all the dead children, and the corruption of a government that starves a nation, and the pollution of the world and our brink of near extinction along with the copper frog in Guam. And I sip and slide the screen to remove that possibility from my little world...