Sometimes the best family photos aren’t the ones that turn out “right”. This photo was taken at a small bird sanctuary right next door the the Fred Meyer my family always grocery shopped at when I was a kid. We would often buy loaves of bread then walk across the parking lot to feed the swarms of ducks and geese.

One day we went to feed the birds right after church. There I was in my white patent leather church shoes and no doubt my white tights as well. I must have been about seven or eight. I was so engrossed in feeding the birds that I didn’t notice a mud colored thing crawling toward me across the muddy ground. I didn’t notice it, that is, until it sat its cold wet furry musk rat body right on my open topped shoe.

That’s when I started shrieking like only a little girl in church shoes can do.

Fast forward about 22 years. Visiting my family one summer we got the bright idea to take Robbie to feed the birds. Apparently eighteen month old children don’t enjoy being swarmed by geese as tall as them.

In  hindsight, I really should have seen this one coming.

But all was not lost. The next summer Robbie was very happy to feed the birds. But really, which picture is more entertaining?

And if you ever find yourself in Roseburg, Oregon be sure to visit the bird sanctuary on Garden Valley Boulevard. It’s pretty cool and totally free (besides the bread).

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