BIRD SONG LOVE
Yesterday was my father's birthday; he would have been 77 years old. He died February 17, 2004 and his passing effected all of us in different ways. I wrote about it in "Mashed Potato Daddy" and repost it every now and then when I am missing him. He had moved my mother and three of my siblings down to Houston, Texas in the early 80's when I moved to Rochester, NY with my family. We only got to see each other every few years, but we always kept in touch as best we could.
My father had a running joke that he was having so many children he had to number them. I was referred to as "Number One" way before Captain Picard told his officer to "make it so......"
I called my mother yesterday to see how she was doing and the conversation always starts the same:
"Who is this?"
"Number One"
"Oh, you all sound the same...."
and then we laughed and continue our visit.
As our conversation came to a close and we thought about my father, she wistfully wondered out loud....."I wonder how he's doing......"
This morning I received an email from my mother......
You can all now call me the bird lady. I went out the back door yesterday to water some plants, and this tiny bird came flying at me, turned around and landed at my feet. Scared the hell out of me. It went under the table, probably because it was shady. It was a very hot day.
I went back about an hour later and it was still there. I broke up some stale bread and threw it out on the patio. It didn't eat any. Other birds came for the bread, and you should have seen this tiny little thing chasing them away. It didn't want it but wouldn't let them have it. Went food shopping, came home and he was still there.
He was hunched up with his legs under him. Looked like a little round ball. I thought he probably fell out of a nest. I wasted more time watching him. Every once in a while, he would fluff up his feathers, probably to cool himself off.
This morning I looked and couldn't see him. I opened the door to spray something, and he came running out from under the chairs. He survived the night. I broke up some crackers and threw them out. Looked up at me and went back under the chair, til a bird tried to eat his crackers. I was doing something when I looked out the window, and I saw a dove fly down.
If you saw what I saw, it would make you cry.
Baby came running from under the chair. wings open, into his moms wings.
They stood hopping around in a circle, rubbing each others cheeks.
They looked they were dancing.
A big black bird landed near and mama pushed the baby behind her, and chased the blackbird.
She came back and lead the baby to under the table, did another dance, and flew away. That baby stayed under the table all day. The bigger birds kept coming til all the crackers were gone, never looked at the baby.
About 6:00 p.m., mama came back, they did another dance, and I think she was feeding it. She was sticking something down her open beak, then led it to under the chairs. She flew up and perched on top of the lamp post on the other side of the fence.
Just before dark, baby flew to the center section of slats on the fence, hunched down, and mama flew away. Tiny area on those slats. I hope it doesn't fall off.
Hope its still there in the morning.
Funny thing, now that I am talking about it, three times I heard something hit the windows on the living room side.
Maybe mama was beating up the blackbird.
Eileen, wouldn't that make a cute story, and its all true. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Good night to you all. It was daddy’s birthday, so maybe he sent them to amuse me.
Love to all, Mom
I wouldn't doubt that for a moment, Mom.
Happy Birthday, Dad.
