Analy High School - Azalea Yearbook (Sebastopol, CA)

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Mr. Harford Miss Gregory

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MR. BLUEJAY By Harriet Maddocks. First Prize TRIM looking blue jay sat on a rail fence and gravely surveyed the surrounding country. He preened his feathers and flew to a high post on the fence, where he might be seen more clearly, and stood coquettishly with his head on one side, waiting to be admired. A few timid brown birds ventured out of the bushes to watch their grand neighbor and they looked after him, filled with awe and admiration as he disdainfully flew deep¬ er into the woods. His flight led him across green fields, swamps white with meadow foam and over long stretches of pine timber until at last he came to a deep cool canyon through which a small stream tumbled down over a high bank covered with ferns and delicate green moss, and then on down the canyon over its rocky bed. Wild ginger dipped its large shiny green leaves and curious dark red flowers into the water, and further on, where the trees were not so numerous, mats of fragrant yerba buena and yellow violets covered the ground. Above the stream the sides of the canyon rose steeply and were heavily wooded with fir and redwood. On the ground lay a thick carpet of needles, dotted with dainty pink star flowers on their wide green thrones. Over all lay the in¬ tangible fragrance of spring, and the blue jay’s heart sang within him for the mere joy of living. The world seemed perfect; the sun shone bright and warm, there was plenty of water in the canyon and best of all, there were innumerable flies and in¬ sects in the woods to feast upon, and he thought of the cherries that would be ripe later in the orchard beyond in the clearing. What more could a bird ask ? He was admired, envied and even feared by most of the birds of his size in the woods, and he was quite satisfied with his own beauty. Warm and tired from his long flight the bluejay sank gratefully into the cool shadows of the canyon, and after resting a few moments, he flew down to the water and began to bathe himself. He splashed and dipped in the water until he felt that he was clean, and then he went away to the sunniest, warmest place he could find to dry himself. He fluffed and dressed his 12