Happy landings

I was mowing in the backyard a couple of weeks ago – better described as haying – when a mourning dove flopped out of the tall grass ahead. At first, I figured it was a mother feigning injury to lead me away from a nest. Any child of the prairie has seen that maneuver.

When I made another round with the mower, the bird was still there, dragging it's left wing. He was so weak, I was able to easily...