A few years ago, I looked out the window to see about 50 crows hanging out in my backyard. We usually have a few crows, but 50 at once seemed kind of eerie. Eerie is a little understated, it was really a flashback into like viewing the movie Birds as a child.

Upon further observation, the 49 crows were watching over one that was hobbling back and forth along our back fence. After pulling on my big girl panties and convincing myself that the 49 would not attack me and eat me alive, I went out to see what was going on. As if on que at my arrival all 49 crows quickly flew away, abandoning the one. It was just me, the girls, and the crow. The crow could obviously not fly.

The crow tried to hobble away, but was looking rather pathetic. It couldn’t find an escape past our fence….not as smart as the neighborhood rabbits who have several holes or the government housing adolescents who hop right over and through instead of walking around. Kitty Bear had done her damage and with a hubby on permanent law school hiatus, the solution was up to me. Do you have any idea how big and scary crows are when they are hobbling along your fence line and hissing at you?

I went inside and secured a box and a quilt. And if you could have all seen me, scared out of my mind, repeatedly throwing this quilt and missing, you would have been embarrassed for me. I think my girls were a little disappointed in their supermommy’s skills. I finally cotton-lassoed that big black sucker in and then had to figure out how to get the bird filled quilt into the box. I went with the option of putting the box right over the quilt and using as much of the quilt to secure the bird in the box.

The real trick was removing the quilt to securely close the box without removing the bird too. Ahhhhhhh! My writing cannot do justice for the shaking in my bones.

We got in the car and listened to the crow shifting around in the box and making hissing noises. Trust me when I say this crow was not in its right mind. There was no cawing to be found anywhere in Knox County. The 49 other crows flew far far away and our boxed guy could ONLY hiss. I found new meaning to the phrase “pray without ceasing” and counted myself very blessed when we got to the UT Veterinary clinic without any incidence.

Two days later, I received the dreaded call. Despite the clinic’s assurance that they would do everything they could, they couldn’t save that darned crow. The emotional image of a release back to my backyard of freedom almost overtook my soul. What would happen to the other 49 crows who kept coming back to find their friend?

I guess they will have to go do some good elsewhere. Maybe one could watch the following video and take some cat nurturing lessons. I think that Kitty Bear is just a lost little kitten who couldn’t find enough love from that crow. I know she has the heart to make friends.

And now the video that has been sitting in my drafts for the past year.

You all know how I love animals. Well, at least Valerie knows…she always forwards me everything she gets about animals. If you have a few free minutes, watch this video of a crow who mothered a cat. It seriously brought tears to my eyes…I am just kind of funny that way!