A bird in the hand
Yesterday as I took my damp laundry out to hang in the amazing sun, I heard and saw an adult robin thrashing around in the woodshed (which has an open doorway facing the back steps). My first thought was to give it space, and surely it would fly out this large door. But then I saw it was tethered! The pull-string from a bag of animal feed or potting soil had got wrapped around its leg. So here was my chance to not only touch but hold a wild creature. I reeled it in squawking, and it stilled immediately when my hand surrounded it; thinking reiki-ish thoughts I unwound half a dozen turns of string. I self-indulgently held it a moment longer but it so obviously wanted to be gone that I carried it two strides to some vegetation it might hide in and let it go, and after a couple of flutters it flew away apparently none the worse for wear. Tucker the dog appeared bemused rather than attracted by its vulnerability.