As it’s been a while since our last free-write… set a timer for ten minutes. Write without pause (and no edits!) until you’re out of time. Then, publish what you have (it’s your call whether or not to give the post a once-over). ~ Daily Post
We are suppose to write for ten minutes and I don’t know that I have ten minutes worth of things to say, but I will try. I am already looking forward to spring and it won’t come for another four months. Until then I must deal with the cold weather and do my best to stay warm.
In winter I stay inside more than I would like. I want to take my dog to the dog park and enjoy the fresh air and the walking path while she runs around meeting other dogs.
I would like to be out in my yard and enjoying the plants and watching the hummingbirds. Several years ago, my cat caught a hummingbird and brought to her me as a gift. I screeched and picked up the hummingbird but she was still and appeared dead. I wrapped her up in a paper towel and placed her in my trash. As I walked away, after about 10 steps, I turned back to get her out of the trash and bury her in the yard. The paper towel started moving! She wasn’t dead after all!
I picked her up and took her outside to the patio table to see if she could fly away. She could not. Her wing had been bruised or broken. I then put her in a box with a hummingbird feeder and locked her in my bathroom (so my cat couldn’t get to her).
I went to the pet store and bought a bird cage and put her in the bird cage along with the feeder.
I placed her cage in my kitchen so she could be around the hub of all the activity in my home. When I would take her out of the box or the cage, she would stand on my finger. I would kiss the top of her little head. She was sweet.
While she was in my kitchen, I thought I would put a towel over her cage so she would feel more peaceful. She started throwing a fit! I immediately took the towel off her cage.
I kept her for about a week until I could find someone that rehabilitates birds. It was sad to see her leave, but I knew it was for the best.
The rehabilitator called me about 2 weeks later and told me that that very morning she was flying around in her cage. She took her cage outside to the picnic table and opened the door to the cage. She would stick her head out of the cage door but not fly away. That is, until another hummingbird flew into her cage to eat from her feeder. Then she flew away.
The next summer a hummingbird came to the window where I sit the most and flew in place looking into the window. I just watched the little bird. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was her. I hope it was.
For me, it was worth the effort it takes to save this little bird. It was a heartwarming and memorial experience for me.
Sadly, after that, when my cat caught a hummingbird, she ate it.
Hope this works
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/ready-set-done-7/
BEAUTIFUL WORDS 
What a sweet story about the hummingbird!
Thank you Sandi! That was a fun and heartwarming experience. Guess my pingback isn’t working for The Daily Post today and everyone else’s is. It worked yesterday. 😕
Hmm, not sure. I was scrolling through the Reader when I saw your post. Pingback problems are not fun.
I just went into the comments of that post and a lot of people’s are not working. Do you ever participate in The Daily Prompt?
I have not: I enjoy reading other people’s responses — it can be interesting to see how many directions a prompt can take writers — but I am usually struggling to get some assignment done. Very close to posting my Double pictures for Photo 101 (they aren’t great pictures, but I can’t go into Christmas with Photo 101 hanging over my head).
You are catching up on Photo 101? I was sad to see that end, but also needed a break.
Awe sweet little chookie birdy… nice story, Joy, your spirit shines thorugh
Thank you Cat! She was a sweet little bird. And it was sad to hand her over to the rehabilitator. Oh well… such is life. 🙂
Cats can be naughty. My little Missy used to bring home huge… I mean enormous… rats.
That’s funny! Now that is something I would NOT try and save. Haha! My cat went missing last October and I have not been able to find her. Could be a coyote or fox around her got her.
OMG that’s awful… I’d go out of my mind with worry. My two used to go missing for 24-48hrs before a heat wave.
Yes, I was terribly worried. I went all around the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen her. I even went to the houses on the other side of the vacant lot. I called the Animal Shelters to see if they had picked her up or found her dead on the street. Nothing. Nothing at all. She simply disappeared. She was a very beautiful cat but was not friendly with anyone but me and the dogs. So I doubt someone would want her unless they wanted her as a barn cat. (She was an excellent hunter).
Awe, that’s heart breaking, Joy. My Oscar used to be the same with anyone other than me. Poor wee man ended up with cat dementia (yer, true, I never knew it existed) It’s been a year now since he was put to sleep and I still think about him every day. My little Jack (the Jack Russell) misses them too, but he’s torn between that and now having me all to himself 😉 Did you have your little one micro chipped? You never know, some cats turn up years later…
I wanted to get her microchipped, but my vet didn’t microchip. I could have gone to another vet, but didn’t. After she went missing, he started doing microchipping. 😦 Bummer. But there are a lot of coyotes and foxes around here and they kill a lot of cats. I just didn’t realize they would come this far into town. But I do live very close to the river (a couple of blocks).
I really love this story you told us about the hummingbird. It was very uplifting and sweet.
Thank you Mandi. As you can tell, it is a story I love to tell. Yes, I have written about it before. I couldn’t think of anything to write about until I said something about summer and hummingbirds. That made me remember Flower (that’s what I named her).
GREAT story! Shows you compassion and dear heart and humor also! Loved it!
Thank you Jodi! She was a sweet little bird. Glad she wasn’t eaten by my cat! LOL
Awww, this is one of those stories that get,wall gooey-gooey (and it’s not you Joy, it’s me 😉 ). I would really love to keep an animal, but my phobia is a major hindrace, hopefully someday. Okay not to debby-down you, but This was a wonderful read 🙂
Thank you Kay. I have told this story several times, but it is one of my favorites to tell. These little birds are so tiny it makes you feel you will crush them by just holding them. She was so sweet.
What a cute story. The cat and the hummingbird – both really love you. 🙂
My cat went missing October 2013. I haven’t been able to find her. I’m afraid that a coyote or fox got to her.
Oh no! 😦
It broke my heart. I’m still not over it. I miss her so much. She was pure white. I have always wanted a pure white cat. She loved loved loved to hunt! So, I guess she was out in the way back in the vacant lot hunting and got hunted herself.
oh no. I am very sorry about your loss. If she did get hunted, I hope she becomes a humming bird and comes to see u :P.
Awww, that is sweet! I have never thought of that. I really do miss her. I had wanted a solid white cat all my adult life. Finally I got one. But I only had her for 6 years before she went missing.
Aww…I am sure she had a great time being with u.
I’m sure she did. She was very very spoiled! Haha!
haha i m sure. someone who has lots of cats told me that one of her cats won’t eat anything unless she puts parmesan cheese on her food lol.
That is really funny!! She is a finicky cat! My cat was finicky with her food too but not THAT finicky! She really preferred to eat the birds rather than her food. I had to buy certain types of can food and certain types of dry food.
Smooth story. Sorry about your kitty.
Thank you Tildy. I cried for two weeks. I keep hoping she will pop back in one day and surprise me.
She just might! That would be a happy day!
That would be the best Christmas gift I could get! 🙂
sweet and lovely story and I can feel the warmness of your pure feelings:)
Thank you. I appreciate your comment. Yes, I did love this little bird. How could I not? She was so tiny and sweet.
[…] INSPIRING my EMOTIONSTen Minutes of Writing […]
Sɑludos,
Аdmito que antes no me gսstaba demasiado estesitio, pero con los ultimos
posts estoy leyendolo regսlarmente y me ha empezado a gustar.
A seguir asi!
Saludos a usted también! Usé Google Traductor y no estoy seguro que traducido derecha, pero entiendo que usted ha dicho, te gusta mi post y me has estado leyendo con regularidad. Gracias por eso ! También entiendo que es nuevo . Si es así , la bienvenida a WordPress ! Espero leer más de sus puestos. Feliz Año Nuevo y recuerdos!
Awesome! I just did the same thing last night and it was a strange experience. I like that yours came out as a coherent piece; mine ended up being stream of conscious rambling.
Thank you! I am surprised mine came out cohesive! 😀