Houston's gone to the Birds

My dad has a thing for birds. It's no small thing. He carefully selects his plants for butterflies and bird attracting. There are at least a dozen bird feeders in his yard. But I would say his favorite has always been hummingbirds. I have to admit I have a pretty intense fascination with them too. During the twice annual migration of hummingbirds through the Houston area, Dad diligently makes his hummingbird food (sugar water) to fill his three hummingbird feeders, ensuring they are never empty. He's always had a lot of hummingbird visitors. But I was amazed this time. As I sat in his house and watched the territorial battles that looked more like a graceful, choreographed dance, I decided in hummingbird world, Dad's house is probably like a fine Parisian restaurant. You plan, months in advance of your trip to stop there; you book your reservation. And then once you're there, even with your booking, it's a little more crowded than you'd have liked. But the food and ambiance is worth the overcrowding.