Stormy Weather

Every morning, before I come upstairs to write, I venture outside to feed therm. Four big black crows and five squirrels. This morning it was cheap dog food. Other mornings it’s stale bread, leftover popcorn from Saturday night cards or sometimes bits of fat that I’ve cut off the bacon ends. These critters actually watch for me. They begin to move as soon as the back door slams. I love it.

This morning, as I watched them duke it out for the goodies, I thought of the weather report I heard last hour. Not good. Big storm comin’. And where will my critters go then? We also have a deer with a wounded leg hovering about. He/she lingered by the garden fence and watched me toss the dog food. I spoke in a friendly manner to it and lobbed some kibble towards the fence. I got some tail movement and a wary glance for my efforts. The poor thing can’t run so it’s putting up with us.

The storm is supposed to bring sleet, freezing rain and, when the temperature goes up, just rain. Oh, yeah, and high winds. We get to enjoy a whole raft of winter weather in the next day or two. Ugh.  I have to go out in it and the new RAV4 will be my shelter while I’m traveling. The squirrels will probably go back to the dray (that’s what a squirrel’s nest is called), the crows to the hollow tree and the deer – I don’t know. Maybe hunker down by the old barn door and wait it out?

Most of us are squirrels and crows. We’re fed and sheltered. We’re safe in our “group” when the storms come. But when we look out on the world we’re forced to recognize that there are wounded deer out there, hovering. Talk kindly to them. Tell them it’s going to be okay. And, if they come near, feed them and pray that their day goes well while offering to help in any way you can. There’s no guarantee you won’t be right where they are some day.

Image: Free Digital Photos