day 17: Search and Rescue

carly and i were checking somethings out in the backyard today when we noticed that something was awry.   the birds in the trees were going crazy which made my hair stand on end. birds are my BIGGEST fear.  i got attacked on my way to church when i was in high school by two crazy blue jays and i have never been the same.   i've even been known to hit the ground out of fear when i hear the sound of wings flapping close by.   all that to say that as i was walking in the house i noticed a baby bird in the grass.  

we knew that we couldn't just leave it because our outside dog, pepper louise, is a bit of a scavenger.  she kills anything that sets foot on her turf, so the baby bird didn't have a chance.   so, we devised a plan...

carly would encourage the baby to hop into a basket...

and i would be under the porch looking for the angry bird parents (i think it's safe to say that carly was a little nervous herself)...

the bird wasn't feeling very cooperative.  it just kept squawking and flopping around.  in fact,  carly kept asking if i thought it could be retarded.   i don't know, can birds be special needs?   

in the end, carly had to just pick it up with a towel and put it in the alley.   the parent birds just sat and watched.  they didn't even raise a feather at us.   

i have never seen something so ugly in my whole life...

 and, i still hate birds.