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"Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."
- Unknown

"That which does not kill you, makes you stronger."
- Handed down through the ages.

"Life's tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid."
- John Wayne



Injured Blackbird

I'm very tired tonight, and I can hear my husband snoring loudly from across the hall (I'm in the library), so this will be brief.

It was a cool day today with flurries coming down this morning. When I went out to the chicken yard to close up tonight, the water hose responded with a weak "psssssshhhhttttthh" when I squeezed the handle. And then, of course, water wouldn't stop leaking out of the nozzle once I gave up trying to use it. So, off to the battery room in the garage I trooped to turn off that water line. But, if those are the worries for the day, I'm in good shape!

Tom said that it snowed all day where he was working about 30 miles northeast of here, give or take. The snow didn't stick, but it was a chilly day to be sure. He's been helping that friend whose cabin he'd been working on this winter. Today was the 2nd day of painting. Of course, I wasn't terribly excited about the repetitive movement of his broken side that the painting would require, but he seems to be doing well with the activity and is paying attention to what his body is telling him. 'Course, then he told me about the scaffolding he had to fabricate in the stairwell using planks and stepladders and more planks and another stepladder . . . !


I was doing dishes today when this Red-Winged Blackbird made an appearance at the feeder. Not paying terribly close attention, it flashed its red wing at me . . . but then it dawned on me that the red band on his wing was in the wrong spot . . . at least the color that I'd seen was.


Of course things like this happen in the wild, but why is it that we're so infrequently audience to it? Obviously, s/he'd gotten in some sort of scrape - accidental or intentional - and the left eye seemed to be freshly missing. As you can see, I didn't get any clear pictures (but maybe that's just as well). And, aside from being a little puffed up in today's cold wind, the bird didn't seem to be any the worse for wear, otherwise. I guess time will tell its fate, but I'll keep a look-out for this guy!

4 comments:

  1. Looks like poor Mr. Blackbird tangled with an electric mixer! One would think a missing eye would really affect a bird's ability to fly, etc. but nature has a way of compensating and taking care of its own. Hope this new little friend makes it.

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  2. He's here again this morning. Whether he's hanging around because it's a sure source of food while he's recovering (assuming this is a recent wound) or not, I dunno.

    But, he looks just fine, otherwise, and flys straight, too! :)

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  3. So glad he's ok. So sad to see that. Maybe you will have another friend to take care of. How do the furry animals in the house like him???
    Tuesday yes???

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  4. I haven't seen ol' One Eye in a couple of days (although I haven't been at the kitchen sink much, either, in the last couple days!). And, the furry critters never noticed him, so no undue harassment there, fortunately!

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