Silvery flakes drifted down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The blackbird swooped down from the tall oak tree. The tree had become barren, a sign that winter was around the corner. Food would be scarce for the black bird during this time, so it spent countless days hunting food and gathering sticks to keep its bird family well fed and sheltered. Around the tree were piles of leaves, and a few yards away there was a pumpkin patch where mice, rabbits, and insects would roam. It was the ideal hunting grounds for the black bird, but the constant search for food among the leaves and vines left the bird exhausted. The hunts became more strenuous with each passing day, and food became a shortage because of the impending winter. It was going to be another rough winter for the bird and his family, the fifth one in his lifetime, but nothing could have prepared him for what was to come. The worst winter to date in the town where the oak tree dwelled. Storm after storm of wind, rain, and snow prevented any hunts at all, leading to problem after problem. Hope and family were all the bird had left, and if it weren’t for the shelter of the oak tree the black bird and his family would have never made it to spring. The resilient winter storms had made this spring even sweeter than usual, and all the hardships were gone in an instant.