Hard to swallow.

Every spring the swallows return. I have never made note of the date. I should have. Supposedly the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano each year on March 19th and leave on October 23rd. Our swallows, a male and female show up in May. At least it was May this year, and I have no idea if it was near the same day as other years. They make a nest in a hole in our eaves where a down spout used to go. We never closed up the hole because the swallows like to make a nest there, and we like to watch the swallows swooping in our back yard, catching the bugs. I read that swallows are monogamous and that they both sit on the eggs. The male starts the building of the nest, and then the female joins him. I don't remember seeing two birds this year yet, but there was definitely some activity going on. And there was also a big black Grackle looking bird hanging around. If we had known it would harm our little swallow we would have done SOMETHING to chase it away. Like I said, I don't know if there were eggs in the nest yet, but my husband saw the black bird sticking his head in the hole,which is at second story height, and we later found the swallow dead on the ground below the hole. I was so sad about that. I'm not even sure how the black bird managed to get to the hole. It's amazing to watch the swallows circle a few times and then just fly right in without stopping.

I'm wondering if that is what happened to Vallen's nest.

It seems like there are a lot of things going on in the lives of people I know, and in the world in general, that give me that same sad feeling. I am praying for them and hope they will all be okay.