Nature Has Her Way

Well, Archie only made it one more night. Then he died. I'm not surprised, really, given the odds of raising a wild bird in captivity. Which, turns out, is actually illegal. So I guess things turned out for the best.

Tonight, though, I plan to bury Archie in the ground underneath the pumpkin vine I have growing in my front yard. That way, he can continue to be a part of my world, even if it's in a literally organic way.

Is that gross? I dunno. I don't think it is. I can't just toss him in the trash or leave him to the wild animals. Even though I only kept him alive for a couple of days, I still want to treat him right.

Harry and Penny were surprisingly curious, too, without being ready to pounce at any second. It's like they knew he was their friend. And then, in the fall, when the pumpkins are fully grown on the front yard, I can think back on my experiment in bird-rearing and smile.