Broken Beak

One time when I was still delivering mail I came upon a garter snake (I don't like snakes !!!) with a little frog half-hanging out of his mouth. The frog was madly kicking his hind legs. I stepped gently on the snake, and inched my foot up to the snakes head, forcing him to let go of the frog. I kept my foot on the snake until the froggie scampered away. The frog went about ten feet away, turned back my way, and lifted his front foot and tapped his little froggie breast. (Not true).

But, I did let the frog go. For days afterward, it bothered me that I did that. I let my dis-like of snakes influence my actions. The snake has to eat, too. From that day on, I tried not to interfere with Mother Nature. That's until I saw a toddler duck in the jaw of a snapping turtle, but that's another story.

This mallard has been at our mill-pond for the last 3 years. I want to interfere with nature again. I want to ask him if it hurts. I want to ask him if it hinders his eating, and if it does, I want to provide him with food. I want to ask him if a little bit of salve would help. I want to stroke his beautiful head, and tell him everything will be ok.

My experience with the snake taught me to stay away. Still hard to see and watch.

I get to be the official photog at the womens dinner tonight at my church. Everybody look here, please. 1-2-3, shoot.