Rarity
During dinner tonight, I mentioned to Joe that I needed to go to Kohl’s tomorrow to get some female undergarments. And then it dawned on me that I could go right then and there… and not have to bore Lilia to tears while trying things on. Besides my weekly volunteer gig at the library, I haven’t left the house without Lilia in quite a while. I can’t remember the last time. I might have done an errand one weekend morning in spring without her. It was a real rarity. And since Lilia is in a Pete Seeger ONLY phase, I grabbed Paul’s Boutique from the CD rack and headed out the door. Like the old days, I blared it as I drove up Henry Ave. Unlike the old days, I was only driving 35 MPH.
As I was just about to the entrance, I saw something fall from the sky and land with a plop on the curb. It was a little sparrow, who had been living in the O in the Kohl’s sign. He was still breathing, but not doing well at all. I debated what to do. Others had seen it too, but no one else was going to do anything. I knew we were right near the wildlife rehab center, and I couldn’t bear to just leave him if maybe he was going to be okay. I went back to the car, found a shopping bag, and picked him up with it and talked sweetly to him. He was still warm, but barely breathing, when I put him on the passenger seat. I drove to the wildlife rehab (about 5 minutes away), and was disappointed to see that are only open M-F 10-4. The sign said you could leave animals in a sturdy cage in the lobby if needed. I checked on my little birdie, and I am pretty sure he was no longer breathing. He wasn’t in a cage, but I didn’t want to leave him outside, just in case there was some chance he was still breathing, so I put him (and the shopping bag) on the lobby floor.
I shopped a bit (ugh, I hate female undergarment shopping), and came home, still listening to the Beastie Boys, but at a lower volume.