The two noteworthy tales from the week of June 19th:

First one being I got sick. Really sick. For 3 days I had a fever that kept getting worse, was dizzy every time I moved, nauseated, and had super sore and achy neck, back, and shoulders. So on Monday I wound up taking my self to the ER; considering I work 10 -13 hour days I can't really afford to be sick. Turns out my fever was at 101.4 F (not terrible, but I still felt like crap), so the doctor started me on doxycycline and mega dose of tylenol. By the next morning I felt about 80 percent better. So apparently it wasn't the flu... my theory is rocky mountain spotted fever, considering how much time I spend around deer and their ticks. So that said, I'm feeling better today, still not 100%, but well enough to trudge through a 9 hour work day.

Second one being much more cheerful. I worked the hotline shift yesterday and got to coordinate a pretty wonderful rescue :) A woman called around noon and told me the story of how they have yellow crowned night herons nesting in the trees around their house, and they have been for 2 years now. But there was a certain nest, 35 feet up in a tree, whose parent birds hadn't come back in 4 days. So I started calling around to our rescue volunteers to see if someone might have an extension ladder. I got an answer from a lady whose son had a ladder so they went out to check out the situation. I thought the problem was solved. Yeah... nope. Turns out the ladder couldn't reach, and the nest was out on a limb too far out to reach.

Round 2:

I talked to Noelle (my boss) and she suggested trying the fire department, tree companies, or maybe a power company. The fire department's ladder truck was in the shop (really?!), so I started calling tree companies. I got several "We don't have the equipment" and one "Sure, but it'll cost 250 bucks". Finally I got a lady who said "You do realize we're a tree company?" And she just laughed when I said yes, and said she'd talk to her manager. Little bit later the guy called and said he'd go check it out. So he drove a half hour to the caller's house, used his climbing gear to make it up to the nest, then used a pulley to lower the babies down. All for free. And he said he'd be willing to help us out in the future if we need it.

:)

Sometimes complete strangers make me really happy.

And the babies are doing great now that they're rehydrated.

A good day.