Cats, Birds, and Darwin

I love cats; I really do. I had one growing up that I adored and we had one a few years ago until, unfortunately, it had to be returned to the SPCA. We discovered it had feline herpes.

At any rate, please keep that in mind as I say -- I'm saddened by the number of wild birds that are killed each year by pet cats. I'm not blaming the cats; they're only doing what comes naturally. But it makes me sad, nonetheless, when I come across the remains of a bird that's been taken out by Fluffy.

I recently I discovered some feathers on my lawn. They're either from a Hairy or a Downy Woodpecker. Now I must admit that my first reaction was regret: another statistic in the bird column. Then I began to consider the situation more. Maybe, just maybe, the bird that met its demise was the one I've been battling with for years. We've had a pesky woodpecker that insists on claiming our house as its territory, furiously pecking three inch holes all over our house. It's really quite maddening and expensive. Perhaps, with luck, the cat followed its instinct and eliminated a bad egg from the gene pool. Nature and Darwin in action to my benefit. That would be pretty great.

So, as I pondered that question I decided to make a journal quilt from it all. Here are two feathers from the deceased, attached to a black fabric that was stamped with the end of a broken plastic children's toy. The red lines were created with embroidery.