[WARNING: Sappy animal lover blog entry below.]
Are dead birds some kind of omen?
A few months ago, I found a baby bird, not young enough to fly, lying in the backyard ...a bit beat up and unfortunately being attacked in the often cruel "circle of life" manner. I carefully wrapped up the bird and I believe it died in my hands. It was strangely peaceful experience. A relief that the little bird's misery was over. At the time, I had a very sick cat who I was trying to come to terms with about putting down. In some cosmic way, the bird helped in my decision to say goodbye to my Maggie, who was lying limp just on the other side of the door...no longer interested in eating or drinking.
On this chilly Arizona morning (temps in the upper 30s), I went out to find a dying quail. We have a family of quail that often march across the top of our block fence. The bobbing little crew always reminds me of the opening to "The Partridge Family." Again, a bird in trauma with little hope of survival. Feathers were strewn across the patio and around the swimming pool. At first I feared one of our pets was the cause - but there was no evidence of the bird or a scuffle just hours earlier. Likewise, the dogs and our one new sneaky feline escapee were not outside in the couple of hours that had passed since their first supervised outdoor trip of the day.
Again, I carefully lifted up the bird and placed in on the top of the block fence that is often the quail family's "sidewalk." But alas, this story does not end any better than the first...the now motionless bird did not respond to my psychic pleas and miraculously fly away. Again, I wondered whether this is some "sign." Some celestial guilt trip with the biggest bird-eating holiday just days away?
Ok, maybe that is going a little too far. But today's fairly anonymous bird, made me remember the first little one and certainly swelled up some of the emotions that I was going through that time around. While Maggie's "successor," the spunky but very sweet Lola, has eased her absence...perhaps today's little life lesson was to once again appreciate her life at this time of reflection and thankfulness. But still I
don't like when death literally lands on my doorstep.
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