a letter from a quail

I received a letter from a momma quail who has nested in my yard.

Dear Ms. Saucer Hat,

A few months ago I met my mate Gorge, sadly Gorge was not endowed with speed and was taken from me by a black truck shortly after our engagement. In my despair I was lucky to find consolation in a bold drake who goes by the name Bernie. However, I prefer to call him Bernardo. It turned out that Bernardo is terribly persnickety; I suggested a nice nesting place near the wash out under a heavy sage bush, he said "No, it is too dry." Due to the circumstances with Gorge it was getting late in the season. If I didn't find a place to put my eggs soon we would risk overheating the precious pequeños. I suggested five other places but Bernardo said, "No." Finally I came upon your lovely patch of mint and lavender under the fountain -es perfecto! 

Bernardo said, "This mint will mask the stink of your poo, it is beuno." 

       Oh, how I pine for my Gorge as I sit here hour after hour.

I laid nine chocolate chip cookie dough eggs. And then I met your dog Feebee, I am not fond of her at all, but it was too late to move. I am quite upset with Bernardo for not detecting this critical piece of information beforehand. Bernardo is very speedy so I am sure my pequeños will shoot right out of their eggs and run through the fence in time to save their fluffy sweetness.

I know that you did not know I was there at first so I will forgive you for spraying water in my face that first week. I thank you for rolling that egg back to my nest that got stuck to me when I hurried out to catch a bite of berries. As the hatching time draws closer I appreciate the cool trickle from the bubblers, the fragrant lavender, and the privacy you afford me. Muchas gracias for your hospitality. 

Sinceramente,

 Sra. Corella Potato Quail

It is awfully nice of Corella to write me a note, and I do hope that I get to see those adorable babies before they make a run for it. But I have a feeling that it will go down less than perfecto. I imagine I will be letting the dog out, she will take off like a cougar and I will see five blurs of brown down making a dash for the closest hole. I will be screaming loud enough for Nebraska to wonder what is going on "FEEBEE NO QUAIL BABIES!" 

I also think that Sra. Potato Quail should lose that Bernardo fellow, but if speed it all that matters maybe it is the sacrifice she makes.

I will also not be the one to inform her that temperatures above 100˚ can cause mutations in the hatchlings and she should probably just get off the eggs and go eat; maybe come back to roll them twice a day?

Mutated Gambel Quail babies, I am giddy in anticipation!

Here's an update (hours after posting):

While I was painting my running chick it seems that 4 eggs hatched, and 6 have been abandoned. I am a little sad I didn't get to see a thing. I have to hope that the fantastic four made it out and are now busy chasing Sra. Corella and Sr. Bernardo. I can figure that 4 hatched and Senora said to herself "Whoo! Four is A LOT of work, I think I will stop there, I've been sitting here for weeks, I'm good with 4." Or the 4 were mutants and she didn't want to stick around and see what would become of the others.