As Requested - Midnights Story

[Second Hand Pat]

So now what do I do. Well, since the crow has some flight feathers I pushed him out away from the tree and down he went, wings out circling gently down to the ground. Then I did something else unexpected. I reached into the nest and lifted another baby out of the nest. It too was nicely feathered also with some flight feathers and it followed it’s sibling down to the ground.

I managed to reach the ground and asked my dad where the crows were. He said what crows. Apparently he couldn’t see me from the ground.

Now to find the crows!

[Melissa]

Oh you mean little girl knocking babes from their nest! LOL!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

Oh you mean little girl knocking babes from their nest! LOL!!!

Yes Melissa, I was around 13. Also trying tell the story from that kids view without influence from an adult mindset. Rather hard to do.

[Second Hand Pat]

During the whole fiasco of climbing the tree and having the babies experience their first flight, the parent crows were mad, mad, mad. They were hanging about me close, flying from limb to limb cawing loud and gruff, very angry sounding. They continued this around me and my dad on the ground. When the babies hear this, they hunker down and get real quiet.

So we start looking, finding a small, dark crow you think would be easy…NOT. Finally found both, huddled as small and close to the ground as they could get. Scared little crows, my dad looks at me, both of us holding a crow and says “Now what”. I look at sheepishly him and say nothing.

We carry the young crows back to the boat and my mom has a fit. She always did when I bought a new critter home. My sisters want to see and touch, dad said to leave them for now. Not able to come up with something better. Dad and I released the crows into the bottom of the boat and they found the darkest corner they could find, behind the gas containers in the back of the boat. Those crows rode there as we packed the boat and went back to the launch site, pulled the boat back onto the trailer and drove home. I prayed that the crows would still be there and ok went we got home.

[Second Hand Pat]

So I worried about the crows the whole way home. Hoping and praying they would be ok. Finally arrived home, longest ride in my life, unloaded the car and boat and finally dad let me look for the crows.

They were tucked under the transom of the boat. Dad had to pull out the gas containers so I could retrieve them. They were both a bit wet but not to the skin. I gave them a bit of a bath to rinse the salt water from the feathers and tucked them with Inky for the night.

[Jason K.]

Installment ?

[Second Hand Pat]

Installment ?

[Second Hand Pat]

Arising the next morning, first thought was, are the babies still alive. Finally get outside, slightly hesitant and scared, walk over to Inky’s cage and have two pairs of eyes looking at me. I caw softy to them and they perk right up, open their mouths, shake their wings and make their baby caw to feed me sound. We are in business.

So first thing I do is go catch bugs. After all, what else is a kid suppose to do to support her crow family. After a couple of days of this I was spending my entire day catching bugs, netting minnows and even feeding canned tuna fish. I decided I needed help and enlisted my sister “Sissy” (her name was Lynda) to help with the crow keeping and I give her the smaller of the siblings.

It was at this point the crows received names. The larger one became Midnight and Lynda called hers Squawky. I guess you can tell how Squawky got its name.

[Jason K.]

sorry pat... I didn't mean that to sound offensive. just alway's looking for a good read.

[Second Hand Pat]

sorry pat... I didn't mean that to sound offensive. just alway's looking for a good read.

I was just messing with you Jay. I recalling this story from memory and well, this was like forty years ago. I could sit and write it all up in a day but where would be the fun in that. Shortly I will be calling my sister to see what she remembers.

[Jason K.]

sound's good...

[wendy9722]

I want the rest of the story!!! what happened to them?

[Second Hand Pat]

Wendy, did you read Black Jack's story?

[Melissa]

I'm loving this

[Second Hand Pat]

I'm loving this

Thanks Melissa