Day 207: This is a sadness. For the first time in all the years I've lived here, the House of Chirp has not been occupied. The swallows have not returned. By this time of year, I should be seeing dozens swooping and diving, perching on wires, raising families. I have seen only seven or eight, and never more than four at a time, and those only on three or four days. What has happened? Have they succumbed to avian influenza ("bird flu")? Were they caught in the fires which occurred during their late-summer migration south? Has global warming altered their range? Whatever the reason, they are not here, and if I needed proof that the world is coming to an end, this would do it. The nest is empty, and so is my heart.
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