NASA just launched a site for the mission to repair Hubble. Go see it.
"..And we’ll also be installing a soft capture mechanism on the bulk head of Hubble that will help facilitate a future mission to Hubble, primarily for the purpose of de-orbiting it at the end of its useful life.."
I cried. :(
My zebra finch babies are growing so fast. They started taking longer flights yesterday. I felt so bad because I suddenly realized they deserve to be free. They will never feel the wind beneath their wings, never perch on a tree enjoying sunlight. I know they wouldn't survive in the wild if I managed to get them to Australia but I would like them to be go there.
We went for a little walk in "the nature", the little park in our town.. The park is left completely in it's natural state, so our adventure there included a lot of cold, wet stuff to sink our feet in.. A few images of runt trees. The fungus is very beautiful. These kind of forests are very important to ecosystem, but there are not much left because of the government run arboriculture.
We also heard a lot of birds. Surely we heard (and saw) tree creepers, european greenfinches, common chaffinches, black-billed magpies, a few hooded crows trying to hit squirrel nests, willow warblers, a lesser spotted woodpecker, a flock of canada geese (or something like that) flying over us and various tits and starlings..
A pretty good day bird-wise. I actually felt a bit sad there, remembering our little angel-bird :(
God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages. -Jacques Deval
I just keep thinking..
She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back. She didn't fight back.
And..
What if she hoped we were there to save her.. What was her last though. Are they capable of thought like us? What if she hoped my hand would come and take her away...?
And..
Would it be different now if we had kept the door open? She could've flown out to safety...
And..
I didn't look at the cage when I went to the kitchen first thing in the morning. I didn't look. What if she was still alive? What if I could've helped her?
It's funny that when I heard about my uncle, I couldn't have cared less, but when my pet bird died, I cried. I have actually been crying for eight hours now.
Her roommate, the white one, DOES miss her and this is not me humanizing it. I've been watching their behavior for over a year now and I know now that she is confused. It broke my heart when she was going on the floor, pecking at the rug and doing her "meep" sound which they used in order to know where the other one was. No reply. She did it again a couple of times, then went to the place where the other one used to peck the oven and "meep". Now it's all quiet. I cannot believe how much I miss that sound. And I feel sorry for the white one who is now all alone. "In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing." -Robert Ingersoll
Today was a particulary fine spring day: The sun was shining from a bright blue sky and the wind blew softly from the East. There is no snow at all and I already saw green grass growing by the wall. Today was the perfect day to believe in soul, believe in angels and believe in god. Today was a particulary fine day to die, but not for you.
I woke up, did what I usually do during the day and paid no attention. I walked by at least ten times today and never checked if you were okay. You were lying there the whole day and I didn't even notice. I talked to you and expected no answer, like always. You never answered to me anyway, so I didn't mind.
J found you there, laying on your tummy, in the corner. He called me and cried. I couldn't look at you for more than just a second. But that second was enough for me to see you were dead. For the rest of my life I will remember how calm and soft you were, just laying there. I hoped you were still alive but your cold body told me the grim reality. You were there no longer.
I know you died when I was sleeping. I didn't hear if you called for help or suffered long before the release finally came. I don't know what were your last thoughts of if you were capable of thinking anymore. I don't understand why you didn't fight back. I can't understand why you were picked and not someone else less important to us.
I know who killed you but though I tried, I couldn't revenge your death. I looked at his eyes but instead of anger I felt pity. I'm sorry. It would've been so easy to me - just a quick snap - but it wasn't really his fault. It was mine. I brought him to your life and - trust me - it will haunt me for a long time.
Today was a particulary fine day to realize there is no god. Because if there were, everyone would die of old age rather than by someone else's actions.
Tomorrow J will look up a good place for what's left of you. It will be somewhere under a tree so there is shelter for you. He'll make sure that the sun will shine there and the wind won't be too harsh.
And though you were just a bird, I have shed more tears than the day my first love was buried.
Because you were my own.
Good bye, Täplä. I will remember the white of your wings and how beautiful your feathers look like even at death. I will remember how you used to groom my fingers and I think I can still hear the sound your wings made when you flew. Your color will stay in my thoughts and I hope one day I'll see someone like you and can imagine it's you.
Oh, by the way, Lumikki is calling out for you and doesn't understand. You weren't there today and she's looking for you. She's alone for there is no one to sleep by her side anymore. But lucky for her, she doesn't understand and in time will forget about you..
I wonder if my heart will ever mend I just let you slip away 4 am forever
He miscalculated his flight and hit a doorframe. At first I hoped he was just stunned and then I hoped that he had a little concussion but now, after almost six hours since he fell I'm starting to believe he will die before morning. Dying alone is the worst thing someone can do - and though he is "just" a bird, he is my family and though he has a bad wing and missed a toe from the day one, he's my bird.. I'm going to hold him in my hand until he takes his last breath.
I'm still hoping for a change, but every hour that goes by just makes me hope he is not in pain and will go soon.
I don't believe in angels nor god, but I hope that there is a heaven for birds.
