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CHAPTER 4

 

The birds along the River Walk have certain human people whom they trust and actually liked more than others.  The human brain, as wonderful as it is, is just not adapt at understanding the activities, let alone the thoughts, of the little creatures in the woods.  Mostly we think of them as cute little critters that God put on earth for our own amusement.  Forgetting that they actually have a purpose, not to mention personalities and rarely do we think of them as we do our domestic pets.  To our pets we assign human traits because they become "Part of the family".  Rarely do we do the same for the wild inhabitants of nature.  Shame really because they are so observant of us.

 

  Saint Louis is gradually learning his environment, is a keen observant of the live styles around him, and more than willing to teach the young birds and animals anything that he has learned. 

 

While Charles, the chickadee, is a curious critic of human behavior, he nonetheless willing to accommodate said behavior.  Raucous, the blue jay is the purveyor of woodland food sources, danger and conspiracy theory.  Lil Bits is the little Screech Owl shadow of Uncle Julius the Barred Owl Barrister of the Owl Woods at the south end of the River Walk.  But there are others who comprise the wild community that we humans all too often take for granted.  Often and smartly not so the other way around.

 

"PEEaweee, peeyoooo, peee-didip!"

 

"St. Louis, the water in the river has risen overnight.  How is that?"

 

The young fly catcher, not long out of the nest looks at the rising waters thinking that only world he has ever known is coming to an end.

 

"I can't even find some of my favorite perches...!

 

"What's happening Louis?  Peee-didip!"

 

If birds could smile, and I contend that they do, Louis would be doing just that.  Having survived many high water periods that the humans called floods, he was undisturbed by the natural ebb and flow of the river.

 

"My little friend, Zipper, you will find that this is normal and we simply have to adjust to the water.  It is the source of all the life around us.  It gives us new growth and takes away the old.  It provides cover in which to hide and food for our bellies.  Up and down is normal.  All you have to do is literally go with the flow."

 

  Chuckling at his own joke he flits from branch to branch keeping a protective eye on his young student as would all good teachers.  He notes that his favorite human has quietly passed with his camera and walking stick.  This reinforces the calm that Louis projects to the younger bird.  Perhaps all is right on the River Walk today despite the rising waters!