Lucky/Not Lucky

On the way out of the house looking for breakfast I saw enough feathers to make me think of a pillow fight gone bad. Spotting the pretty but dead woodpecker I said "Oh crap!" out loud and within seconds heard the familiar voice of Lucky, one of the many cats who live on our street.

Out of all the kitties around here, this guy is the only one who not only doesn't run away but actually comes up to me for attention.
LOTS of attention, and he never shuts up!

Being a life-long "cat person" I was frustrated for years by the skittish pussies on our street, so after making Lucky's aquaintance I actually bought a can of treats to give my new buddy whenever we crossed paths, and I guess the dead bird was his way of returning the favor in this Thanksgiving season.

You can see the hunter in him.
I was a little bummed that such a pretty woodpecker died on my driveway or porch or sidewalk (feathers are everywhere!) but such is the circle of life.
(Edit: This was a male Golden Fronted Woodpecker, and a real fine example at that. I saw him the day before hanging upside-down from our patio timbers looking for lunch in the form of ants and the bumblebees that live in big holes.)


Here's the funny part:
Around Halloween I found a familiar red cat collar on the driveway behind my car, and brought it inside.
Over a week later I hung out with Lucky for a few minutes and remembering the collar (partially seen in photo #1) fetched it and hooked him back up.
My hope was that his owners would be completely mystified as to how this goofy cat managed to not only find it again but also put it back on by himself!

It was one of those pranks where you don't get to witness the results, but it still gives you a warm feeling of satisfaction and makes for a good story.