Our One Day Wonder

Tuesday morning Joseph came running into the house with Collin close on his heels. "Can we keep it?" " We know how to take care of it." " It just hopped right into Joseph's hand. just like that." Being my usually busy self about the cleaning kitchen I only caught a word here and there. " Sure, the bug box is in the laundry room," I said, still focused on the dirty sink of dishes. "That won't work. He's too big." HE'S that got my attention and I turned around.

This little guy is what all the fuss was about. The boys had seen the little guy fly from the back fence to our tree out from and fall out of it. When Joseph squatted down and put his hand out to pet him, the little bird jumped into his hand! Upon inspection he seemed to have a hurt leg but how bad we had no way of knowing. Collin confiscated an old bird cage from a neighbor. Kody collected some soft grass, bird seed and water. It was decided among the boys that they would keep it till he could fly again. The plan was to hang the bird cage on the front porch where he could hear and see the other birds and be safe from the cats and they could feed and water it daily. Now why does this sound familiar?

Oh, yea. It was from a reading we had done LAST year of Pocketful of Pinecones when Don's friend had wounded the mother birds wing and she had to be cared for until she could fly again. Just when you think they never listen. A perfect Charlotte Mason moment - it does a mother's heart proud! I found it a marvel how every time Joseph put the bird down it would look up at him and he'd put his hand out and it would hobble back into it. It really didn't have any fear of anyone. Any way latter that afternoon - why I have no idea Joseph placed the little bird back on the tree branch where he had fell from and it flew away. I like to think that the little bird found a connection with another and just wanted to visit for a spell.

Remember that house finch nest that I posted about a few weeks ago - One wild nest - well this is what it looks like today. It is growing on the side of the house next door. The birds have abandoned it as far as we can tell.