If you live in the country you never can tell what you will see in your backyard, like the wild turkey, who chose to bring up her brood there as it was safer, or a released pheasant whom I called Hercule as he might have come from Belgium.

He was so beautiful and stayed around for a while, sitting on top of a fence or just strolling around. Hummingbirds are always welcome but then we come to those we DON"T want. Woodchucks, who can destroy a vegetable garden overnight, a darling, beautiful little fawn who will grow to eat anything it wants in your flower garden, and the evil raccoon who will eat the nectar meant for the hummers and often destroys the container.

Seldom does any wild thing come into the house except for the charming, inquisitive Carolina wren, whose shrill call brightens our winter days. The first inkling I had of a visitor was when my little hunter started chasing a small bird around the living room and of course I knew what it had to be, so I opened a window and waited. Instead of flying out it banged into a closed window and landed flat on its back with its little claws in the air. I picked it up gently, held it right side up and perched on the open window with my arm outstretched. Nothing — then a little twitch of a claw, then nothing. Then two eyes opened and away it flew. So if you find a little stunned bird, be patient.

Sidney Tynan

Little Compton