This week, our backyard turned into a wildlife episode I didn’t sign up for.
It started earlier in the week with a dead bird. Odd, but not headline material.
Then came a snake — or what was left of it — in the driveway. Our puppy, Darcy, proudly found it and tried to claim it as a toy. I confiscated it (you’re welcome, Darcy).
Five minutes later? A flattened toad. Lovely. My yard is apparently a memorial park for small reptiles and amphibians.
And then came this morning.
The Morning the Woods Came Alive – Sort of
I stepped outside with Darcy — who, as usual, was determined to taste-test everything that had ever lived in our backyard. Our other two dogs tagged along.
Halfway down the yard, all three stopped, ears up, tails wagging, and sprinted toward the tree line like they’d just found hidden treasure. I followed, because clearly, I’m the responsible adult here.
We stopped at the edge of the woods… and that’s when I saw them.
Vultures.
Not one or two. A flock of 20 to 30 huge, black vultures tearing into what I can only assume used to be a deer.
I froze, thinking:
We live in the yard of death.
Change Usually Shows Up Like This
Standing there, I realized something: this is exactly what change feels like.
It starts with curiosity. You explore. Maybe you hit some small, messy things — a snake here, a toad there — but it’s manageable. Then, out of nowhere, you’re face-to-face with something big and uncomfortable. The vultures.
Every instinct says: Turn back. This is scary. This is not what I signed up for.
But here’s the truth: change is rarely neat. Growth isn’t tidy.
The best opportunities often live just beyond the messy, vulture-filled part of the woods.
If we stop at the first sign of discomfort, we miss the innovation, the promotion, the new skill, the life shift, the joy on the other side.
What to Do When Change Looks Like the Yard of Death
When change shows up — a new technology, a leadership shake-up, a life curveball — it may look like the yard of death.
Don’t retreat. Don’t freeze. Step forward.
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Curiosity beats fear.
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Forward motion beats standing still.
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And sometimes, you just have to fry the chickens — push past the scary stuff — to get to the good stuff.
And if a flock of vultures shows up in your life… well, maybe bring a rubber chicken for backup.
Final Thought
I’ll be honest — when I stepped outside this morning, I didn’t think I’d learn anything from snakes, toads or vultures. But with a little reflection (and some help from ChatGPT), this strange, messy moment turned into a lesson worth sharing:
Change is rarely pretty. It’s often uncomfortable. But it’s where growth begins.
P.S. Still no dead fish. But at this point, one flying out of the sky wouldn’t surprise me.