Saturday, April 25, 2009

Legal vs. Sinful?...

Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?....
("End of the World", Skeeter Davis)

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If you look closely at the above picture, on the left side you can see the little dove sitting on her dear nest---blissfully unaware that our landlord plans to cut down her tree today, despite all my best efforts at convincing him otherwise.

God knows I tried to prevent this tragedy. Thanks to you readers, I did as you guys suggested and called the local authorities to see if I could legally prevent the removal of the tree. But I didn't have any luck.

One call was to "Beak & Wing", a non-profit bird organization based in nearby Shawnee. I spoke to a kind gentleman there---and after I explained everything, he sadly told me that, unfortunately, unless the nest had already hatched the fledglings, that it is not illegal to cut the tree down.

But he had this to say about our landlord: "Although it is not illegal, it is definitely IMMORAL to cut down that tree".

Immoral, indeed.

Yesterday afternoon I saw the two parent doves "changing shifts" for sitting on the nest, whereby one bird left the nest and the other one took over. (I know there's one egg---and the guy at "Beak & Wing" stated that there's probably a second one by now.)

As the doves switched, one dove seemed unafraid of me--- and allowed me to take a couple of the below pictures of it from a distance, for which I was grateful--- because I'm going to enlarge the pictures, print them out, and keep them as a keepsake. Isn't it a sweet-looking dove?

I asked the question to the cosmos last night --- and I'm asking again --- what kind of person would cut down a tree with a dove's nest and eggs in it? What kind?

And then Blaine worriedly announced that he thinks I'm headed into a "depression" --- and even though I protested, he adamantly insisted that he is going to take me away from the house today. He made an appointment with a car dealer to go perform a test drive of a vehicle he wants to purchase. Then he said he wants to go to "Whole Foods" and get some of their wonderful, organic food items.

Without any fight left in me, I acquiesced. And so that's the plan--- because Blaine simply wouldn't hear otherwise. I know he's upset--- because last night he kept mumbling to himself that he had sent an email to the landlord to try and convince the guy that "cutting down those trees will cause rainwater to flood the basement".

(And my mother didn't mince words when she sent me an email stating her opinion that the landlord is an "a$$hole".)

Anyway, I guess it's probably best that I'm not here when it happens since I know that I simply couldn't bear to watch that tree come down without embarassing everybody by having hysterics or something. I'm just worried that the landlord will begin the damnable task before we leave the house--- because we're not leaving till about noon or 12:30 pm.

I don't know what to do....

I don't seem to be able to come to grips with this very well...

I tell you, I just don't know what to do.

But this I know for sure--- and I don't care what the law says--- and I don't care how much my friends and relatives think I'm getting "too dramatic" about the whole thing--- but I agree with the guy at Beak & Wing--- I think it is IMMORAL--- nay, a SIN--- to cut down that tree!

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We roar all like bears,
and mourn sore like doves:

we look for judgment,

but there is none:

for salvation, but it is far off from us.

- Isaiah (ch. LIX, v. 11)

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7 comments:

danielle said...

Bo - I can emphathize with you totally. We have a couple of doves that come and 'visit' us. Walk around the patio eating the birdseed the other birds have knocked onto the ground. They are such sweet birds.

We had a huge and ugly palm tree cute down once. Shortly after we moved in to this house. We did not know that it was full of (among other things) birds nests and eggs. The guys cutting it down were upset too after they realized.

Cat said...

Hmm. Well. I can't think of a thing to say... Except...

$hit!

Sigh.

Hugs to you, and here's hoping Mama and Daddy bird find a new spot.

Grandma Elsie said...

O no. Why not call your newspaper with your "human Interest" story...
That might help or your Tv station and cry on their shoulder...They could at least wait till the baby birds are hatched and flown...right...
Elsie <><

Cindy said...

Just keep in mind that although the eggs are gone, the birds will be okay. Their little minds won't register a loss to grieve over; they'll just look for the nest for a while. Then they'll build a new one somewhere else. And go on from there.

AzRN said...

so...did the evil (mama's boy) landlord cut down the tree? i hope not. glad to see you writing, again. i enjoy your stories and pictures.

AuntWie said...

You're right. Mama's Boy had a choice, and he chose evil. I hope the basement will flood resulting in $$$$$$$$$ of damage.
On the other hand, Cindy is right, too, Bo. Mama and Papa bird will be fine and will rebuild their nests and their lives. Their loss will not be as profound as yours when you were forced out of Texas. And the egglings were never conscious. (Yes, egglings is too a word, because I just said so.)
Is there anything you can do to pull something positive out of this? Maybe foster injured animals, volunteer at the pound, make a donation? How about knitting cat beds and stuffed mice etc (ala Now Norma Knits) either as a fund raiser, or just to keep critters warm?
I'm just so sorry.

Trinka said...

I have a robins' nest on my porch that I'm watching with delight, so I understand your feelings!

I wonder if you gently moved the next into another location? Maybe the rafter of the porch? Sometimes they will follow a moved nest, if it's not gone far.

Trinka (enjoy your blog!)