Bye Bye Birdie

Mother Nature can be a cruel teacher. (Especially when she comes in the form of a black and white feline huntress named Gussie.) Benjamin was thrilled when he was able to get palsy-walsy with a tiny bird in our yard yesterday. We all gathered on the hillside and watched the sweet feathered creature with admiration (of course, I was thinking it was a great homeschooling opportunity).

Jeff mentioned that the bird's breathing seemed a little labored and it was odd that the little guy chose to hang around with four excited humans hovering. After a few minutes of study and a quick picture, the little bird fluttered away and we returned to our Sunday proceedings feeling a little brighter for the encounter. Later in the day, Jeff and Benjamin were outside again playing running games when Benjamin spotted the little fellow...d-e-a-d. The bird was buried, kind words were uttered, and tears were shed. The lesson? Make sure the cat's not out when there's a bird friend about.