Growing Up and Old

"Mama?! One of the baby birds is on the ground and he can't fly back up!!" Acacia was almost in tears as she called me at work just now. I'm on floor, which means I am the agent "on call" in case anyone needs one. The office doors are propped wide open and cyclists are flying down the hill and around the corner onto Main Avenue. It's the Iron Horse weekend and this town is chock full of bikes.

Yesterday was the big race to Silverton and today are all kinds of smaller races downtown. The speed the bikes are coming around this corner is shocking. Only one crash so far...

The first bird tried to fly today and did a pretty good job getting to the ornamental cherry right next door. But he didn't move from there for three hours until he tried and ended up on the ground. Acacia is worried he'll get eaten by something.

In the ornamental cherry tree, just below their nest.

She's called me back twice, and this time said the parents are there now trying to encourage others to fly. Another one made it to the cherry tree. I wonder how they get them back to the nest.

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I got home and discovered there was no plan for getting back to the nest. The parents yelled, "Chop chop! Fly Already!!" to the other two until they, too, jumped. And that was it. Done. Off they went to learn to fly, find food, and fend for themselves. Pretty awesome and scary. 

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And while these little ones were growing up in a hurry, I tried to pretend I wasn't by riding the Iron Horse.

Rolling into Silverton... Glorious weather, piles of friends in town,
and feeling my age in my knees, neck and butt!