Old properties are always attractive to me because of the big trees and dense vegetation, especially when the property is abandoned. Being around dense vegetation means seeing or hearing the winter wren. On a trip in France, at the entrance of a big abandoned property, I saw a beautiful wild rose garden around an old forester's house. And indeed, a little winter wren was singing out its joy of life! It seemed to like the rose garden as well as I did. For a few brief moments, it posed on one of the roses…the kick of such a moment is enough to inspire a painting. The winter wren, a true American, is the only wren that made it through Alaska into Europe, and it has spread out all over the continent. It is the smallest of the wren family, and an incredible singer. - CB