for the birds

Our North Carolina trip was great for many reasons, but one of our favorites was a trip to the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck.  Our guide was amazing and our group, made up of all interests and ages, totally enjoyed every minute.  The highlight was a nameless two-month old crane out for a walk with one of his caregivers.  He bobbed up and down on skinny legs with knobby knees, with the same undying curiosity about everything around him that our three kids had while there.  We spent about ten minutes getting acquainted and learning about each other.  I don't think I've ever felt more connected to nature than at that moment, when I could barely tell a difference between the humans and the birds - we all just felt like "beings."

This place is so cool, supplying training, rehabilitation and more for zoos all over the country.  They're personally responsible for keeping some species off the Endangered Species List.  Kudos to them for a job well done and for an experience like no other.