WHAT a GOOD DAD...

                    "Determine never to be idle..." Thomas Jefferson

Dwayne  showed up again. He sat on the bird bath. His back to me. Sulking or so I thought. "Sorry, I don't have any worms for  you" , I said.  He ruffled his feathers.

 Dwayne sighed, or so I thought, then hopped back and forth, like a little dance. I imagined  he had one  eyebrow raised in disbelief.  Do robins have eyebrows? (that was my next thought.) His beak was chock full of live caterpillars. Oh ewwwww.  Wriggle wriggle. They writhed like mini pythons.

It was late May of last year, when the trees were full of caterpillars wrecking havoc. Swarming like garter snake balls, falling out of the cherry tree. One massive nest, resembling a large cotton ball. It undulated. It was Alive.

Much to Dwayne's satisfaction. He LOVED caterpillars. He stuffed himself, till he could stuff no more.  He actually brought me a few. I declined graciously. Dwayne ate them  and went back for seconds, and thirds.....and fourths.

One  day, Dwayne brought his baby to meet me.  Big baby. Flew into things. Like the birdbath. The tree. the flowerpot. Made a noise like a clarinet.

I named him Dougie. Dwayne was obviously proud of him. He puffed up with pride. as Dougie marched along the birdbath wall. Dougie  was more concerned with looking at his reflection in the water. He thought he was fascinating.

Dougie was always hungry. So was Dwayne. Ravenous. Dwayne brought caterpillars. Such a good dad. Dougie  stared at his reflection while Dwayne went for grub.

Loaded down with squirmy wormies , Dwayne dropped them into the birdbath. Much to the delight of Dougie.

Dwayne watched Dougie eat his fill, then gobbled up the rest.  

And repeat. Over and over.  Sometimes Dwayne  could barely fly. I thought it was because he was eating too many. All those wriggling things crawling around his little bird stomach......

Dwayne was still not talking. He couldn't stop staring at Dougie, who really liked seeing himself in the water. He screeched for more.

Dwayne dropped caterpillars into the birdbath. Dougie stomped on them. Chomp chomp.

Dwayne plowed after Dougie, grabbing as many as he could. They squawked at each other.

Dougie fluffed his baby feathers. Dwayne  beamed.  "That's my boy," while Dougie splashed in the water.

      Dwayne burped. Then Dougie burped. I think they were full at last. Oh I was so wrong.. 

Dwayne took a dip in the bath, then  headed back to the caterpillar nest . Dougie splashed at himself. He thought he looked pretty good as a robin.

Dwayne didn't return to the birdbath. Instead, he called to Dougie, who  puffed his wings and  took off after him.

Didn't see either of them, after that day. I imagined I heard them calling to each other, in the early hours of the mornings, or at dusk. The bird bath always needed refilling. Dougie really loved the water. Or maybe he just liked what he saw IN the water.  I know I saw caterpillars sinking on a regular basis, some doing the front crawl.....so I knew  Dwayne had been there. What a good dad.

"Always be the hardest worker in the room...." -Dwayne Johnson

 Photographs 2024