Bird(watching) Dog

Just a thought..things don't always turn out the way we desire. Sometimes we just have to accept this fact and smile. I found this out quickly this morning. I have several fig trees growing in the back yard that are just bearing their first fruit..or were just bearing said fruit. For the past few mornings, I noticed that the Thrashers were getting their share far earlier than I was out of bed. Thrashers have to be the proverbial "early birds" even of the avian world. I think they and the Mockingbirds never sleep. I love to hear them sing all throughout the night but now they were raiding the gardens! My figs! Something had to be done! This would not work! Being one that loves animals (even those that raid the gardens), I mulled over possible nonviolent plans of action. Nets would probably solve the problem and I had several old cast nets that were beyond repair for fishing. The perfect solution! Getting these nets up over the fig trees required a tad more work than I first expected, but I finally succeeded. With a pole up the center, the net had now taken on the appearance of a light and airy tepee! Sort of a "screen porch" for my trees! The little figs could grow and ripen without the threat of being eaten (by anything but me!). I was quite proud of myself for being so ingenious, or so I thought. For the next three hours, I cut grass and trimmed in the rose garden. I never thought to look at the fig trees, they were safe and sound.

Eventually, I noticed Ezzy, the dog, sitting by the tree staring, head cocked to one side. Surely she was admiring my handiwork..sweet, smart Ezzy. Then there was a fluttering under the net...what?? The Thrasher had slipped under the net to get a fig and Ezzy, the bird-loving dog, was not admiring my tepee at all..she was admiring the BIRD! This Thrasher had (in three hours) eaten every fig on this tree under the watchful eye of the very one that is supposed to guard this place! Granted there was only about two dozen of the fruit, but..My Goodness! Nary a fig left on my tree!! Outwitted by a bird! A very fat and happy bird with an audience of a very delighted and adoring dog. Yes, I did have to smile about all of this, life is just too short to fret over a few figs.