March 10, 1987
Dear Valerie,

You will never guess what happened today while I was pulling weeds and trimming the rose bushes in the back yard!
I heard a familiar spring song that took me back into days gone by. I looked up into the mulberry tree. There he was! A beautiful robin with his burnished breast shining in the warm Arizona sun.
When he finished his song he tipped his head to one side and looked at me as if to say, “How was that?”
“Beautiful!” I said. “You know, I’ll bet we know a lot about each other. I would guess that you are on your way to Arkansas. You see, I used to live there once a long time ago.”
He fluffed out his feathers and then started singing again. I listened very carefully. Sure enough, I was right! This beautiful fellow was the grandson of a Mr. Robin Robin who always came back each year to an old sweet gum tree in Conway. There, Mr. Robin Robin and his dear, sweet wife always built their nest and raised their wonderful babies.
I didn’t interrupt him, but I knew that very tree. It was located at 1020 Davis Street.
Finally he paused for a few seconds to take a bite from the tree buds that were just showing a tip of green.
Hoping to keep my visitor from leaving, I said, “I liked that song even better than the first one! Did your Grandfather tell you anything more about the sweet gum tree?”
For awhile I was sure he was going to fly away. But he stretched out his wings and examined them carefully. I knew what he was thinking. He had such a long way to go before he could settle down and sing love songs to his darling lady. He seemed to like having someone to to listen to him. Soo–, the serenade started again.
“Grandfather taught me how to sing.”
“Grandfather taught me everything.”
He put in a little trill of delight. He really enjoyed that part! He continued on with his song and I with my memories.
There was a man who enjoyed his garden each year and loved working there on evenings when he was home. My chatty little visitor said that his Grandfather became close friends with this man.
As the spade turned the garden soil big, fat earthworms were exposed. Grandfather couldn’t stay far away then. He just had to have those worms! Why, there were three gaping mouthed babies in that nest in the sweet gum tree waiting to be fed.
Soon the kind man with the spade would pick up the wriggling worms and toss them over to Mr. Robin Robin who was following close behind.
So the friendship grew and Robin Robin came back to the sweet gum tree for many years.
I could tell that my visitor was anxious to start on his way. He flew down and took a few sips from the water sprinkler. Then, back into the tree to make sure all his feathers were preened into shape. He cocked his head once more as if to say, “Goodbye!” Then he was on his way.
“See you next fall,” I whispered with a sigh.
I could almost believe I heard him say, “I’ll be there.” Oh! I forgot to ask him where he was going! “Dear God give him safe journey,” I prayed. He will visit me again this fall. I am going to be watching for him and then – – I’ll find out just where he spent his summer. 

P.S. I only wish you could have known that man with the spade.

Love you,
Grandmother

I love you, too, Grandmother.