This is a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

How can something so tiny bring so much joy? Perhaps it’s because of their diminutive size and ability to trust your presence if you put forth the effort to be around them. Maybe it’s watching them flit from blossom to blossom and hover, or maybe it’s when they come looking for you if you are absent longer than they think you should be.

To me, their fragile appearance inspires my faith in God, whose creative genius just amazes me! This delicate creature manifests a dogged courage and surprising resilience not only to the elements, but also to the endurance needed to fly thousands of miles when it migrates from northern Michigan where we live, to as far as Central America in the winter! Just the fact that they return here each year warms my heart. This tiny jewel, no bigger than three inches and weighing less than an ounce, sports an attitude and personality unlike any other! Only God could have come up with such a delightful creature! They are pure joy!