birds, birds, birds

of course you already know just how much i love birds (even though i've been told i'm too young to love birds so much, as if it's a pleasure only to be enjoyed in my senior years), but i feel like i need to say just how happy i am that i have a husband who will go out of his way to ensure that any and every bird around him is safe. yesterday as he was pulling into the parking lot at his office, he noticed a robin hopping dangerously close to the road. when he approached the robin and found that it wouldn't fly away, he scooped the robin up to save it from imminent danger. back in the summer, he stopped for a cardinal that had been hit and was sitting stunned and injured in the road, and made an emergency run to the grocery store up the road for a "survival kit." so chris made the same emergency run for the necessary items to help this robin until he could get in touch with gwen, our avian rehabilitator.

vintage robin mug from freckle wonder.

after meeting with gwen, chris discovered that the robin had most likely been clipped by a car, thus making flying difficult, but not impossible as it didn't seem to have a broken wing. gwen said that the robin most likely escaped a predator, due to the lack of tail feathers and the new pin feathers coming in. that lack of tail feathers makes turning and other maneuvers in flight more difficult, which could have caused the robin to be hit while trying to turn or land.

hopefully, very soon, chris and i will be fully licensed wildlife rehabilitators so we can start more inclusive emergency care on our own when a bird needs help. until then, we'll keep our eyes, hearts and doors open to any feathered or furry animal that needs us. that being said, i will now get on my soapbox...

animals were here before us, and if they're lucky, they'll be here after us. contrary to what so many people think, or at least the way so many people act, humans aren't the only ones who belong on this planet. animals are here for a reason, and it is IMPERATIVE that we help them to stay here. please, please, please do your part to help them. if you're not hands on, it's okay, just try to be mindful and not hit them with your car; you're not the only one on the road. if you would like to call me a hippie, i don't mind, i just love animals that much. thank you, the end.

the traveler

I don't know what it is about turtles, their slow speed, their cute feet or the fact that they carry their shelter with them, but I just love them. I don't love that their population is rapidly decreasing, due in part to being hit by cars. Whether it's a country road or a four lane highway, I'll run into the road like a maniac to save these little creatures from imminent danger. This little cutie decided to take a walk on the road this morning, and I'm glad I was there to stop her! She now has a new home on our 140 acre farm.