Freebird

The boys are getting old enough to play outside in the back yard without too much supervision.  They will come and go (usually leaving the door wide open) to go the bathroom, bring me a flower, or tell me how they found a rock.

So, one day they are all out there while I am doing laundry inside.  Davis comes in and says "Mommy, a bird flew into the backyard and it let us give him nice pats."

"Oh really? That's nice.    Wait.     What???"  In my mind all I can think is, "Rabid bat, rabid bat, holy crap, rabid bat!!!!"

So, Davis runs back outside with me chasing behind him, and I immediately see Carter and Evan nose to nose with a bird so big I thought it was a chicken!  It was sitting on the window sill that is right above their sand table. 

Although relieved that is wasn't a rabid bat, I wasn't about to go over there. So I called to the kids to come inside. I then made them wash their hands and tell me what happened because certainly this bird didn't just let 3 kids touch it and then decide to stick around.  

But yep, they all said they "gave it nice gentle pats".  I then proceeded to call Texas Parks and Wildlife (useless), Animal Control (also useless) and their pediatrician who assured me that birds do not carry rabies (quite helpful actually).

After the rabies panic went away.  I decided to take some pictures of this bird. 

I decided it was a pigeon or a dove.  So, I googled it and found a lady nearby that races/releases white pigeons.   The conversation went something like this...

ring.ring

Pigeon Lady:  "Hi, this is Becky"

Me:  "Hi, are you the pigeon lady?"

Pigeon Lady: "Hahahahah, did you just call me a Pigeon Lady???  Yes that's me!"

Me:  This lady is nuts and I have insulted her now.

Anyway, she agreed that it did sound like a racing/release pigeon.  Although she thought it was really weird that it let kids touch it (great).  She suggested I go out and see if it had it bands on its legs (um, no thanks).  

Then she suggested if it is still there this evening to go out and "pick it up and call the phone number on the band if it has one since they are more docile at night" (blink.blink.speechless.). 


Lucklily, it flew off about an hour later!   When I blew up one of the pictures, I could tell there were some bands which I guess makes me feel better.  

But now I am left to ponder what all this means.   So intense...I should have made a video of me freaking out like the Double Rainbow guy.