Frayed Feisty Threads - Book IV

The Robin's Story 6/9/2005

         Sitting at the window, I noticed for the second day in a row, the robin approaching the grate in the street. The robin bent low toward the grate and appeared to have something in its bill. The bird would stay on the grate and look down for a period of time. Finally, my curiosity got the better of me. Why was the robin so interested in a grate in the street? I walked out of the house and meandered to the grate. Peering intently downward, I suddenly heard and saw the reason for the robin’s interest. A baby robin had fallen through the grate and the mother could not get to it. She was bringing food for the baby, but it was not reaching the little robin, despite her attempts to drop food through the grate.
         “What to do about this situation? How could I help the baby robin?”, I wondered.
         When I returned to the house, I discussed the problem with my wife. We agreed the best course of action was to ask the street department for help. I called the street department and left a message asking if they could get give us a suggestion as to how we could get he baby robin out of the grate. “All it’s doing is crying”, I said.
         Not long after I called, the street department showed up. They had a problem getting the grate up because it was sealed in cement. After considering the options for a few minutes and talking it over, they asked me for a fishing net. And not long after the men used the net, they got the robin out of the drain.
         They released the baby robin about 40 feet from the drain on the lawn. Suddenly, an adult robin was on the lawn too. And behold, in a few minutes, the mother started feeding the baby robin. Eventually, mother and baby flew back to the nest to join the rest of the family.
         To all the men who responded to this request for help, we appreciate your help and we thank you. This shows our Carbondale Street Department is always ready to help no matter what.

by Helen Pechota Umholtz

with Joseph L. Umholtz
6/19/2005

Additional Information ▼

This piece was published by the local paper as an opinion article. It is the last item I recall Mom writing. Both Mom and Dad were quite proud of this.