NO, I don’t have a picture. I was pretty aggravated with Lucy when I saw her running across the yard with the limp animal in her mouth—a rodent, I might add, which was probably still full of the black oiled sunflower seeds he’d eaten at my feeder. This carnage destroyed the utopian ideation I had about the dynamics in the backyard.
Except for the occasional ill-mannered blue jay, the birds live in harmony, as well. I haven’t seen any feathers flying over the suet, yet. On second thought, it may not have been the suet, but I have seen feathers flying. I was just working one day in my office, heard some sort of tussling sound, looked up, and grey feathers drifted down past my window. A lot of them. Turns out, the hawk that cruises my neighborhood had a snack.
This past spring, I was watching a nest birds had built in one of my hanging baskets. It thrilled me to see it soon filled with two little speckled eggs. It didn’t thrill me a couple of days later when they mysteriously disappeared. I was talking to a friend about it.
Then, just this weekend, I went out and called the grey kitty. She hopped over the fence followed by not one, but two tomcats. I had no idea she was old enough for such shenanigans. She’s headed straight to the vet.
Okay, I admit, I’m living in denial about the backyard utopia. But, a lot of the time the denial works for me. Occasionally, when I have to get in touch with reality though, I remember that despite the gritty happenings back there, one day I’m going to get what my heart longs for.
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat…, and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear…they will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9
One day.
For example, Lucy and the former feral grey kitty get along famously. As soon as we let Lucy out in the morning, the grey kitty runs over, rubs against Lucy’s legs, and arches her back against the brown dog’s stomach. Very sweet. Other than a bewildered look on her face, Lucy seems to be fine with it.
Except for the occasional ill-mannered blue jay, the birds live in harmony, as well. I haven’t seen any feathers flying over the suet, yet. On second thought, it may not have been the suet, but I have seen feathers flying. I was just working one day in my office, heard some sort of tussling sound, looked up, and grey feathers drifted down past my window. A lot of them. Turns out, the hawk that cruises my neighborhood had a snack.
This past spring, I was watching a nest birds had built in one of my hanging baskets. It thrilled me to see it soon filled with two little speckled eggs. It didn’t thrill me a couple of days later when they mysteriously disappeared. I was talking to a friend about it.“I can’t believe a snake ate my bird eggs.”
My levelheaded friend said, “Snakes have to eat, too. It’s just nature.”
It may have been nature, but I didn’t have to like it. Those were my eggs.
Okay, I admit, I’m living in denial about the backyard utopia. But, a lot of the time the denial works for me. Occasionally, when I have to get in touch with reality though, I remember that despite the gritty happenings back there, one day I’m going to get what my heart longs for.
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat…, and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear…they will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9
One day.
But for now, the squirrels had better smarten up, because after catching a real squirrel this week, that fake floppy squirrel of Lucy’s has lost its charm.