Scare of a Lifetime

I was out in the garden the other day, and Neville was in his outdoor pen (he loves the thing). I haven’t put a roof on it yet because we don’t have the money, and I was outside with him. I figured he’d be fine since I was there and so was the dog. As I was digging by the house, I heard a mad flapping sound behind me. I turned around to see a massive hawk swooping over and then out of our yard!! He couldn’t have been more that 8-10 feet off the ground!! Lighting fast, I turned to see where Neville was. He was fine, sitting in his pen, nibbling the grass, no idea that a FREAKING HAWK had just swooped above his head. I yelled a certain expletive or two (which don’t usually pop up in my everyday vocabulary) half in shock, half in relief, and ran to him, grabbed him, and darted inside.

O.M.G. I have never been so terrified. (Well, I probably have, but I don’t remember when it was in light of this event). After five minutes passed and my heart started beating again, I regaled my husband with the tale of shock and horror. He missed the whole thing because he had gone to get gas for the lawn mower. It was then that I noticed the feathers all over the driveway. Turns out, Mr. Hawky snatched a mockingbird in the front yard and then flew out the back. I guess that was the mad flapping I heard. Poor little guy. So I sat and watched Chris mow the lawn for a bit to calm down. Feathers were still falling out of the sky and fluttering down the street. SO bizarre.

Lesson learned: put a freaking top on Neville’s outdoor playpen. I don’t care if it’s a sheet off our bed, there is going to be a top to protect him!

Also: I have better animal instinct than the dog. HE didn’t notice the hawk either!!