Holding this amazing lining of a bird's nest is like holding a circular weaving of spider's threads in the palm or your hand.  It weighs less than a song and

looks like it would disintegrate with the slightest breeze.  Yet, it has survived since the 1960's (over 50 years) in perfect condition.  It was given to one of my art students by her father, who had found it on their Michigan farm.

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It is composed completely from the hair of the family's two horses.  The grey hair is from Penny and the flaxen hair is from Babe.  I would have loved watching how the bird got the hair from their manes, and then how it wove its selections into this miniature masterpiece.

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One early winter's morning I began photographing it as sunlight cast long grey nest-shadows across my table.  The elegant shadow lines looked as if they had been sketched in pencil.  Reflected light joined the composition creating a three part story for me.  Light equals life in each of the three images.

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With a single stroke of light, the first image represents the beginning of life as eggs are laid in the nest.  The nest begins to serve its purpose as the eggs lay silently promising new life.

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The light becomes multi-faceted as the second image tells of a more active phase:  eggs hatching, feathers growing, mom and dad bringing food to the new little family, and dreams of baby birds filling the night.

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The light in the last image tells the story of the family flying away.  The nest becomes empty and silent, while knowing it has fulfilled its purpose.  Its days and nights will be filled with memories of bird-songs, and daydreams of galloping horses.