Our catch phrase is on its way.
Dear Fellow Earthlings,
It was only yesterday (See Installment 271.) that I had the wonderful experience of meeting two other “earthsavers” in the personae of the two ladies at the entrance gate to the landfill who considerately allowed me to get rid of the used door dumped along the highway by someone and then carried by me to the landfill – and without charge.
But something else equally wonderful happened to me yesterday: I was privileged to see a live and healthy western meadowlark (the official state bird of Oregon) only some 250 meters or so west of my land.
During my 34-year-long Oregon experience, this was only my second opportunity to see the critically endangered meadowlark. The first time I saw one (about 15 years ago) was when I was driving past the exact spot where yesterday I stopped to pick up the discarded door along the road.
On that occasion I saw a meadowlark flying low ready to cross by in the path of my automobile (ironically, the red Ford Probe stolen from me just four days ago). I slowed down so that the bird’s flight path would not coincide with my “driving path”. At that very moment, a truck that had been closing in on me from 2 or 3 hundred meters behind suddenly gunned it, quickly approaching and then overtaking me...
Just at the moment that the truck overtook me, the meadowlark flew across the road, high enough to have been able to clear MY vehicle – but not high enough to clear the truck (which was a meter taller than my low slung Ford Probe)...
I cried out as I saw the impact. The truck kept going, the driver oblivious of what he had done. I slammed on my brakes, bringing my 1990 red Ford Probe to a halt. I got out and ran back to the place of impact (again, exactly the place where I picked up the pieces of door yesterday). I found the meadowlark in the grass on the shoulder of the road.
He was not bleeding -- and he even looked into my eyes. However, he was breathing only with difficulty. Then he closed his eyes and died – in my hands.
Is it a signal for me to do something for the western meadowlark?
Yesterday, what was it that caused the litterer to dump the door at the exact spot where the speeder had snuffed out that meadowlark’s life some 15 years earlier?
And (again, yesterday) why should a second meadowlark suddenly make its presence known to me only minutes after I recycled that door?
There is a message to all of these occurrences!
I must come to the aid of that beleaguered bird species! Now my land will be a refuge protecting not only yellow bellied newts (one of whom I saw today!), but also western meadowlarks!
Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator
© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.