ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.

An elderly gentleman lives with his son and family next door to me. Next door neighbors they are for sure but it is not like in apartment or townhouse buildings or subdivisions where you can touch the next house.
I still have to get in the car, drive down the dirt driveway to the country highway, wait for traffic, sometimes cars speeding like there is no tomorrow, make a right turn to their house.

Like the day I had to return his injured pigeon which I had rescued from a kite. I had it wrapped in an old jacket and placed it on my lap as I drove. It was late in the evening and was almost dark.
I rang the doorbell and after what seemed like forever, I had some noises and he opened the door. It was in the wintertime and one of the few spells of cold weather in Florida. That was part of why I had the pigeon wrapped up in the jacket, plus my fear that he would get more injured if I left him loose. Already shaken up from the attack, he was flapping wildly after
I rescued him. I took a close look at his wound which was not very big, but was deep and bruised. With such a puncture wound, I wasn't sure if the pigeon would make it.
I apologized to my neighbor for disturbing them and he said it was alright as he was just relaxing. I handed him the bundle in the jacket and explained that I had witnessed the attack on one of his pigeons and had rescued it. His eyes opened in surprise and he gently took the jacket,unwrapped it and gently lifted the pigeon out and examined his wound. He looked up thanking me " He'll make it" he said nodding his head in the affirmative."Thank yo so much, poor fellow, he sure took a beating, but he'll be just fine. I'll go dress his wound and
and let him rest and start recuperating. Thanks a bunch" He took the pigeon inside and I left.
As I got in my car to drive next door, I had many thoughts go through my mind. First and foremost, did I have any right to snatch an evening meal from that hungry kite? If the pigeon dies, what was all my heroic effort for, and how many times do we get rescued from the evil one who is constantly looking for someone who he may devour? I never inquired of the pigeon again probably for fear of getting a negative answer. Since then once in a while, I would come home to see feathers or remains of a killed pigeon in the yard and I would think to myself, there goes one which didn't get away or get rescued.

My neighbor raises homing pigeons for a hobby. His pigeons, several dozen of them live in two large pigeon houses facing my property, facing west, the setting sun. Everyday, like clockwork, these birds do their routine, flying in patterns like jets moving in synchronized flights and they would do patterns, over and over before going back into their houses. He stands and watches as they practice, sometimes blowing a whistle or waving a flag at them.

He came over one day and said he wanted to know if it's alright for his pigeons to sit on my roof as they trained and I said it w as fine with me. I sometimes stand to watch the free performance for a while and the pigeons seem to notice and put up a show for me, sometimes swooping down so close to me. I had observed that these pigeons take a lot of training to get good to perform at functions like weddings, funerals and other civic functions. They put in their show and then can fly many miles home without getting lost.Watching them train is very interesting. When he opens the door to the pigeon house and they start flying out in rows and then make their flying formation and then do their routines, over and over until he blows his whistle and they come back.Sometimes they would go back and try to enter and by waving the brightly colored flag, which signifies not yet, sends them up again, air bound and to do more routines. Sometimes one or two would break off and fly on their own, only yo hurry back and join the formation again.

The first time I saw an injured pigeon, my neighbor had come over and the doorbell sent me to the door. He was asking for permission to pick up his injured pigeon on my side of the fence. He had the pigeon in his hand and explained that it was attacked by a kite. I assured him that it was alright to come over and rescue his pigeons on my side anytime. Not too long after that I witnessed the attack myself. taking the trash bins to the highway, I noticed the birds were making their patterned flights overhead and I stopped to watch for a few minutes. Suddenly, one of them seemed to fall out of the sky and hit the grass with a thud. I looked and there on the grass lay a pigeon with another bird on top of it, taking quick jabs at its chest. I remembered my neighbor asking for permission to rescue his bird not too long ago. I left the trash bins and ran over there as the kite reluctantly left the pigeon and flew off. The pigeon was so frightened and traumatized that it just kept flapping and trying to stand. I picked it up and after flapping a few more times, it stopped but I could feel the trembling of his entire body. I examined the wound and found out that the kite was heading for the heart with his sharp beak. The wound looked deep and bloody as I wrapped the pigeon and took him over to the owner for treatment. From examining unlucky pigeons found dead and half eaten, I realized that the predators go for the heart and other vital organs which they eat and then leave the bulk of the bird untouched.
I still get to watch the free shows put out by the pigeons every once in a while. The skies of my yard offer them good training grounds and I don't mind it one bit. Sometimes some of them settle on the roof and the dog does not pay them any attention anymore. Even the whistle call for their training and the big brightly painted circle marking the entrance to their cage are part of life now, not noticed anymore. I have not seen a left over bird on my grass lately and I don't know if the pigeons got smarter or the kites got tired, moved somewhere else, or attacks them elsewhere.
Whatever it is I am glad because seeing those carcasses used to sadden me reminding me of the human who struggle through life, dodging deadly attacks from the enemy, attacks
on their bodies and souls and every once in a while, another would bite the dust. The sad part is when the soul bites the dust as well. Sad indeed.
Enjoy this special from none other than precious Jim Reeves again reminding us to heed the call which will keep our souls from biting the dust when we do bite the dust. " Softly and tenderly----
Click on link and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxQq5gxI33A

Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Nwada (Lady) Chinwe Enemchukwu
Onye Uwa Oma
na Orlando, Florida