Fly Away Crow! (week 440)

Edgar Allen Crow survived! After a week of convalescing in our backyard--of drinking out of the sprinklers and being fed by his friends each day--our sick and injured crow returned to health and flew away.  And although we were just a little bit sad to see him go, it was a major victory for the Keisler Family.  

Edgar Allen Crow had become a regular presence in our backyard since just before Memorial Day when he landed in our backyard.  At first, we thought that he was sick or old and was getting ready to die. He didn't fly or even hop very well, but we left him alone to perch on a backyard chair.  Each night, his friend would watch over him from the telephone wire above and when he was hungry, his friends would gather food for him and feed him. He became sort of a fixture that we anticipated each morning when we woke up or returned from school.  It was really amazing to watch the dedication of the other crows as they took care of him in his time of need.  It was also very exciting to see that some stories involving wild animals that land in our backyard actually have a happy ending!

This week, the baseball season for the ELB U8 Red Sox came to an end at the hands of the Cardinals.  After splitting the regular season series 1-1, the Red Sox just didn't come with their best stuff.  Our bats went silent and we ended our season with a 4-1 loss.  We were all very sad because we had great hope.  After winning the No.1 seed against the Cardinals in our last game of the year, we had hoped for much more in the playoffs.  We learned the hard lesson that sometimes a single bad game pitching and a single bad game hitting is all it takes for a team to go down.

It was also an awesome weekend for everyone in the Keisler Family as we spent some quality time away from each other.  Chris and I joined Grandpa John and Grammy in Newport Beach for a long weekend of swimming, eating, and playing games.  Dad went to his 15 year college reunion at St. Olaf, and Aunt Lindsay came from New York to spend time with mommy and to catch-up as sisters.  Although it was fun for everyone to do something different and apart, it also helped us to realize how great a family and a home we have.  Thanks Grandpa John, Grammy and Great-Grandma Betty for making the weekend work for everyone!