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The Lucky One

Winter 2016-17

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Cuttings

The Lucky One

Birds battle in my backyard. Sparrows wage war over the birdbath, the feeder, and a convenient perch that gives them access to both. Their best vantage point is at the bend of the downspout between the rooftop and a tall spruce. It often becomes contentious because there is room for only one sparrow to reign supreme.

As I watch, a bold bird bullies a timid one. The loser is knocked to the ground, while the victor celebrates his dominance with puffed-up feathers and a cocky stance.

Mother Nature rewards the strong. But sometimes luck evens the score.

A streak of buff and black strikes like lightning from the grey-blue sky. Deadly, silent, and with unerring precision, a prairie falcon plummets. It snatches the winning sparrow from its throne and carries it away.

Huddled below, the loser is the lucky one.

—By Hermine Robinson of Calgary, Alberta.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • At The Gate
  • Contributors
  • Stories

  • My Sprawling Cherry Tomato Plants
  • My Garden Origin Story
  • The Old Rose
  • Wish Books
  • Great Garden Quotes
  • King Roscoe, His Royal Hineyness
  • Happy Ending
  • Miracle in Pink
  • Chester the Toad
  • I’m a Peasant
  • Turning Certainties
  • Tomato Heartburn
  • The Prison Garden
  • Snail Wars
  • The Most Unforgettable Christmas Tree
  • Aim for Beauty
  • After the Spring
  • Buds

  • There Might Be A Place
  • The Garden Needs You
  • Pernicious Machineries
  • Poems

  • Spring in Winter
  • Cuttings

  • The Lucky One
  • Perennial Friend
  • Nocturnal Hunt
  • Some Too-Exciting Evening
  • Broken Trowel

  • The Great Peony Massacre
  • The GreenPrints Letter

  • Sammy Gets Married!

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