For the Birds

This evening, Bailey and I were outside, enjoying the nice temperature.  While she was sliding and climbing, I noticed something very close to where I was standing.  It was a little grayish black bird, just sitting in the grass.  When I stepped closer to him, he didn't even budge.  He was there for such a long time, it had me curious, and mostly interested in taking a photo, so I coerced my beautiful daughter into going inside with me so we could fetch the camera.  (It's hard to take a photo without it.)

 

When we returned, the bird was still there, just begging to be photographed.  I took many photos (big surprise), guarding it carefully, trying not to draw attention to what I was doing.  I certainly didn't want Miss B to encounter it.  It's hard to tell what she'd do to the poor thing and who knows what sorts of diseases it has.  Kaitlin approached the tiny thing, sniffing it, and then walking away, completely uninterested.

 

Well, there finally came the moment that Bailey spotted it.  I was standing right next to her, ready to pounce in case she thought she'd pick it up.  I told her only to say, "hi" to it, which she had no problem doing, including multiple waves with her greeting.  She's such a friendly lass.

 

After enough monitoring, I knew the bird was injured.  I explained this carefully to Bailey, telling her about the bird being hurt, and how he had an "owwie."  Now this is where the cutest thing happened and I was blown away.  Bailey crouched down a bit and said, "Awww, it's all right, bird.  It's all right."

I wasn't expecting that at all. 

 

The two had a lovely conversation.  The bird liked tweeting to her and she'd say, "Tweet Tweet," right back.  I didn't get any good photos of this, because I was afraid to leave her unintended, even a couple inches.  And since the poor beast was injured, it would hop and Bailey would say, "jump, bird, jump."  She said this over and over, and then tried to jump too, as though they were having a lesson.

 

It ended up hopping underneath the deck, where I wouldn't allow Bailey to follow, and then through our fence and next to a tree.  I'd like to think its wing will heal perfectly and it will be flying again by morning.  Any negativity on its health is unwelcomed.

 

But this was by far, one of the coolest experiences I have had with my daughter, ever.