Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Phoenix

If you know me well, you know I love animals.  Even as a child, I rescued and cared for injured ones.  Now living in the forest I am seeing lots of things.  But nothing so exciting as having those four baby birds newly hatched on the porch. It is clear a predator has been visiting my porch both during the day and during night.  I hope it is not the groundhog for its days are numbered.  Yes, I get the food chain and all, but geeze, these little ones didn't have a chance.  Why did the Mama birth so low to the ground? What is wrong with a tree?

I found a dead bird in part of the nest on the porch floor when I got home a little while ago.  There was another one six inches or so away from it.  It was barely moving and I put it back into the nest.  There is another dead bird in that nest.  I suspect the missing fourth one was eaten.

Mama bird just returned to what is left of her family.  Before her return, I removed the nesting materials and buried one baby bird near my dogs ashes in the woods.  Upon laying the bird to rest, I gasped uncontrollably.  Here I was again burying another beloved animal.  This is not getting easier.

Nature takes its course.  I just wish it wouldn't do the deed three feet from my front door.  It has been three weeks since I could use the porch and that was just fine.  I expected the birds to depart sometime next week - fourteen days after hatching which seems to be when they fledge.  Or longer if they needed more time.

It is somber on the mountain today.  Clouds have covered a once blue sky.  Thunder rolls in setting off my National Service Radio. It has been a hard day, a hard few days if truth be told.  Somehow we muster the courage to move on.  The trick is no attachments.  I know the theory.

No application here.  Not today.

In loving memory ~


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