Recycle THIS! and the Dead Quail

While I was talking with a neighbor, Sophie, Hallee, and Zeke escaped the confines of the Sullivan compound and ran out to the just emptied recycling bin and took up residence.  They begged me to haul them (in the can) around the house and to the side yard where we keep these sorts of things.  Much laughter ensued.

On Tuesday, partnerless as I was, I took Sophie with me visiting teaching.  We walked to each appointment and on the way to the last one, Sophie spotted a dead quail laying on the side of the road.  She was still talking about it when we returned back the same way, heading home.  She REALLY wanted Hallee, Zeke, and Casey to see it.  I told her that when Casey got home from work the next day, she could take them all over to see it.  Remembering all of the random animal carcasses that I hauled home as a kid, and with Sophie worried sick that her specimen would be GONE the next day, we back-tracked and retrieved the bird.  I let Sophie carry it by the feet (held in a piece of plastic that I located roadside).  She sputtered excitedly, "I've never holded a dead bird before."  As soon as everyone woke up in the morning, Sophie was outside showing off her find.  We buried it under our pine tree later that day.