What does a baby see? the mountain ash

 

Jack has been pretty interested in this tree the past week or so. It happens to be in his line of sight from several of his usual hangouts, the play-mat in the middle of our living room and his high chair.  The tree is a mountain ash and has red berries that hang from the limbs during the winter. With nothing other then branches and berries, and occasionally snow, its quite beautiful. When the wind is blowing the branches around Jack is especially captivated by this tree. I think the red in contrast with the grey winter sky is what does it.  

Every spring a huge flock of Cedar Waxwings come and feast on the fermenting berries. Jack was pretty fascinated by this process. Not only was the tree moving around like crazy but hundreds of birds darting in and out of branches, passing berries back and forth, the entire flock coming and going in the blink of an eye, was almost more than an six month old could handle. But he couldn't take his eyes off the scene. In one day, one afternoon really, almost all the berries were gone. The birds left as quickly as they came and the tree was still. Despite its new bare limbs, Jack is still quite fond of the tree.