Now I do feel bad. It was a beautiful sunny day, and a national holiday at that, and I spent it inside, doing what? Paperwork. Spreadsheets. And when I took a break from that, it was to reorganize my kitchen.

Then I glanced out the window and saw the unmistakable arrival of the bushtits. Dozens of these tiny birds flew into my garden in that way they have, fluttering sideways, veering this way and that, and sometimes landing upside down on the end of a slender branch, bouncing precariously as if waiting for a carnival ride to end.

And you know they love the birdbath. They're a little like Russians and Finns in how they enjoy their communal bathing. I've seen them crowd ten or more into the bowl of the birdbath. That must have flummoxed them today, since it was nearly empty. They made me feel guilty for neglecting it.

I also felt sad for wasting a gorgeous day working inside. Since there was no mail delivery, I didn't have to go anywhere. I didn't even do my weekly grocery shopping. I just stayed in my sweats, unshaven, chiseling away at the mountain of work I have to get through this month. When I should have been outside pulling weeds (or at least cleaning out the birdbath), I was pounding out lifeless numbers on the keyboard. What a waste.

The bushtits did get their bath, although the first few of them splashed most of the remaining water out. Then the bare branches of the young oak tree in the garden shivered to life with the little birds ruffling themselves dry. Spring must be thinking about chasing these winter days out of here. Soon one of these sporadic sunny afternoons will coincide with a time when I can use up some energy out in the yard.