Critters

     I think this is the summer of critters for me. I've had quite a few unexpected run-ins with different animals. At the beginning of the summer, there was the baby mouse, rescued from SE's driveway and nurtured for about three days in my garage until a heart attack wracked his tiny body and he passed on. There was also the gaggle of baby groundhogs searching in vain for their roadkilled mommy on the road to my grandma's house. Then last week there was the baby bunny who I scooped up from the yard and made friends with for the day before painting his ear for identification and returning him to the vicinity of his nest. Then today I picked up a butterfly who hung out on my hand for a while before fluttering off, and helped rehabilitate a giant lunar moth found on my friend's car. He had a scraped wing but he flew off successfully after being relocated. Then this evening as I was heading out onto my porch to enjoy the evening sunset, I saw a small, slightly furry pink thing on the welcome mat in front of the door. At first I thought it was some kind of caterpillar, maybe even the squished carcass of one-- but I soon discovered it was an eensy weensy baby bird who must have fallen from his nest in the wreath next to the front door. Though he was still alive when I found him, it was clear he wouldn't make it very long because the fall was high and he was a newborn. I nestled him amongst the blooming marigolds where he would soon take his last breath. I wonder what critters the rest of the summer has in store for me? So far I have loved them all. It would take a lot for me to not love a tiny animal. (Oh, except for fleas. Fleas can die a firey death.)

VaughnDL