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| Photo courtesy of Steve Nanz Photography |
Ever since I was a young child the holidays has been my favorite time of the year and I’ve always been a fan of holiday music. One line from the holiday classic "Winter Wonderland" always stuck out at me and caused me to wonder where the song was written. The line reads “gone away is the bluebird, here to stay is the new bird.” Those of us living in Southeastern states like Kentucky are fortunate that the Eastern Bluebird is a permanent resident that can be seen year-round and in the dead of winter. You might conclude, therefore, that the author of this song was from the north where bluebirds do, indeed, leave for the winter or was simply unfamiliar with the range of the Eastern Bluebird. After a little research I discovered that this song was written by Richard B. Smith during his time in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a state that does see a portion of its bluebird population migrate south for the winter. So the next time you hear the song Winter Wonderland in the southeast, be thankful that your winter wonderland will include the beauty of the Eastern Bluebird!
