Nature or Nurture

I haven’t been feeling 100% since returning from vacation, which is probably a combination of jet lag and my ability or should I say lack of ability to deal with it. Not to mention that the temperature is about 30º colder here. I had almost forgotten what cold felt like. Yep, now I remember and it isn’t even what I would consider cold. Back to the real world.

On a happier note I think I killed a few baby birds yesterday. Now, before you get all teary and start talking about Earth Day and baby seals, these weren’t birds that anyone likes. I didn’t really kill any birds, just some future birds. Not birds from the future, which would be weird and exciting at the same time, but rather potential birds. You see a before we went away I noticed a couple of magpies ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-billed_Magpie ) talking to a developer Crow and putting a down payment on the tree in my front yard. It is actually Arwen’s Arbour Day tree from grade three which like many of her things, is still at my place.

I knew I had to nip this in the bud since I was going to be away for a while, so I got out the ladder and a big stick and knocked down their construction. Job done!   

Fast forward a few weeks and the first time I look out the window at the tree I see a two or three story home in Arwen’s tree built of mud and sticks. I guess these particular Magpies never read about the Three Little Pigs and the moral of the story. I‘ll play the big, bad Wolf. Heh, heh, heh! They should have built with bricks.

Now, after I had put the ladder away and was looking at the heap of mud and sticks in the front yard I see the two magpies. I can hear the conversation now.

“Well, this isn’t our tree!” she said.

“Of course it’s our tree. Don’t you think I would recognise our tree when I see it?” he blustered.

She flapped her wings and said, “If this is our tree, then where is the house? You never pay attention to the map or ask for directions. Now we are lost and can’t find our house.”  

“Well, I know it’s around here somewhere. A house doesn’t just get up and fly away.” He countered.

“ I think it’s over there. You can sit here until the tree grows into your ass, but I’m going to find our house!”

I don’t speak bird, but I have been in the middle of a similar conversation myself and I don’t envy that poor slob.

Well, another day... another life crushed!