For the Birds
Mass killings, a collapsing condo, the constantly squabbling children on Capitol Hill who try to run our country, people who keep COVID-19 in the news by not getting fully vaccinated, the vandalism of a Martin Luther King statue, the Aaron Rodgers-Green Bay Packers soap opera, the early release of a sexual predator and anything mentioning Donnie Trump are some of the topics making headlines these days, and I’ve grown very weary of them. So today I’m going tell a story for the birds.
My wife is an avid birdwatcher (I confess that I enjoy watching feathered friends too.), and she recently hung a spring wreath on the front window. She was overjoyed when a little house finch chose our wreath as the perfect place to establish her home and raise her children.
If you have never watched a bird build a nest, you are missing one of the most remarkable feats of nature. This little finch tirelessly and painstakingly left the wreath with an empty beak only to return shortly with twig after twig as she expertly and patiently molded her new house into our spring wreath.
When she was finished with the construction of her small abode, she commenced sitting on her new little castle and appeared to be both quite proud of herself and most comfortable on her nest until one day when what to our wondering eyes should appear but four small brown eggs each shaped like a sphere.
From that point on our excitement was palpable. Every morning as soon as our eyes were open, we checked out the nest. And one morning our diligence was rewarded with the sight of four tiny, bald baby house finches. They were so small that all of them could have fit in a teacup with room to spare. What fun was it going to be watching them!
UNTIL. A. FEW. DAYS. LATER. WHEN. TRAGEDY. STRUCK!
I was just awakening from a dream about winning the Boston Marathon in world-record time, when I heard my wife emit a sob from the living room. And I instantly KNEW something horrible had occurred to our diminutive lodgers in the window of the front deck.
Upon arriving in the living room where my wife was softly sniffling in front of the window where the wreath was hanging, I immediately saw that my initial speculation was confirmed. It was bad enough that the nest was askew, but even worse, it was empty.
We went out on the front deck and found all four of the baby finches. Two of them had not survived the fall and lay motionless on the cushion of a loveseat. By some miracle the other two had ended up on the floor of the deck where they were hopelessly flailed away. My wife understandably wanted no part of operation bird disposal, but fortunately our oldest granddaughter, Graceylyn, was at the scene, and she agreed to take care of everything.
In addition to being a soccer star, Graceylyn is an animal lover nonpareil, and she put the two deceased birds in the woods. But she took the two survivors home to the amazing farm where she lives with horses, cats, chickens, and dogs, and many of them are rescued animals. Graceylyn and her sister, Lily, and her brother, Wilson, made a nest of straw and commenced to feed those two tiny birds dog kibbles soaked in water until they were softened up. This was a trick she learned from her grandmother.
Amazingly those birds are now growing and thriving. When I last saw them the other day, they were fully feathered, active, and healthy. It was a small miracle for the birds. But after I had left the room where the birds were and was halfway out the front door, I heard a sound coming from that room that halted me in my tracks. But then I realized I must have imagined it. Until I heard it again! The sound was unmistakable. It was a high-pitched puppy bark!
Breathe Easier
There is good news for teachers and students returning to school in the fall. The CDC has ruled that teachers and students will not need to wear masks in the classroom. This news should be a breath of fresh air for everyone involved.
Nightmare Continues
At this writing, the death toll resulting from the condo collapsing in Surfside, Fla., has risen to 78 as the search for victims continues. What an absolutely horrific tragedy for the families of those victims to endure!
Ponder This:
The other day I bought some powdered water. Now I don’t know what to add to it.
~ Steven Wright
