"Down the hill I run, rain-booted and sweater-free. And all around me, swallows swirl." One child's year is punctuated by the life cycle of the swallows roosting in the eaves of the shed. She watches as they build nests and teach their young to snap up bugs, zipping through the air in loop-the-loops. Winter comes and she imagines their journey south, towards warmer, longer days. And when the swallows return? She greets them open armed as friends. This is a joyful celebration of seasons and life cycles, a lyrical ode to the wonders of nature around us. Back matter includes STEM content on swallows, their life cycle, and migration paths.