Cake Stand

The birds on the cake stand were certainly numerous when this photo was taken. Usually I only expect to see one or two birds on the green cake stand that has lived on a high shelf in Mabel's living room all her life. Without discussion, this dimpled glass structure has always been understood to fulfill the function of bird-platform or bird-plinth.

The pictures grouped here were all taken after Mabel's birth, and now come in handy for evoking the textures and moods of her nest. 

These plants once witnessed Mabel's presence, and she witnessed theirs, but she witnesses the presence of other plants now.

There was a time when Mabel was so eager to get into the kitchen, and so tiny and likely to be injured there, that her parents obtained a transparent plastic barricade gate.

Mabel often suggested (or commanded) that I climb the gate, taking her along with me. The way I recall things, her parents did actually grant permission for us to execute Mabel's carrying-in-triumph maneuver – on one occasion only – while the baby beamed with glee in all directions.