In case anyone might have the idea that Jackie and Shadow work all the time…
Shadow was on his way to the nest, carrying a huge branch in his talons, when suddenly the beautiful day and swirling thermals merged to become irresistible. He caught them over the lake behind their favorite perch trees…and he circled, rising up and up, looking like he was thoroughly enjoying taking this hefty branch on a fun joyride before he swooped it in to become part of the nest.
And Jackie was watching from the front of the nest, waiting for him. As soon as Shadow swept into the nest beside her, he went to work to find a place to put his newest treasure. Obviously, if he can soar high with that huge branch, he shouldn’t need any help with it once he had it in the nest. So, Jackie stepped aside and just watched as he maneuvered and placed it, then climbed and lifted it, then rearranged and shifted it until he found a spot to leave it…and go work on something easier, like fluffing up the mountain of fluff in the nest bowl.
Not to be outdone, Jackie brought in a giant complex stick with even more tiny branches than Shadow’s soaring stick from the day before. As soon as she landed and flipped the stick over, Shadow snatched it right away from her and hustled across the nest to find its correct spot. But this one was stubborn and would not agree to settle down in to any of the obvious places. Even after Shadow lopped off a few of the ‘sticking-out twigs’, it would not cooperate. So, finally, he moved it back across the nest to the outer edges…but that silly stick immediately got all tangled up in Shadow’s prize soaring stick from the day before. And then what a mess.
Jackie saw that he could use some help and with a few sweet little beaky kisses convinced him to let her assist. Then, using her ‘much-bigger-than-Shadow’ physique, Jackie carried the whole big, conjoined mess over to the other side of the nest. Shadow followed her and they worked in unison, tugging on both ends, to find somewhere that conglomeration would fit. After their joint work ended with the sticks being basically back where they started, Shadow was able to get his prized stick unlocked from Jackie’s and he placed it properly just where it belonged. And Jackie went back to work on that tall, uncompromising stick in the back of the nest that continues to insist on standing straight up instead of laying down politely like everyone else.
Jackie left first. But it was obvious even to stick-man Shadow, that after such a rough and tumble evening of tricky stick work, it was time for a cozy snuggle together on their nearby roost tree.
Sandy

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