I was worried about the birds.

They have been waking me up for a week or so now, and because it is still February, I thought they could be in danger of being harmed by cold weather.

I know we have had unseasonably warm weather, but it seems they must have been out to lunch on Groundhog Day and missed Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction.

Phil is the one and only official groundhog that can predict if we will have an early spring or six more weeks of winter weather.

And since the rodent saw his shadow, spring was supposedly not imminent.

For a time there, I had been thinking maybe it is time for Phil to retire since I have been wearing shorts. But this week the temperatures plunged, and we had a frost.

I did not hear as much chirping on Thursday morning.

So I turned to Google to see if my feathered friends were in danger.

It seems that as long as they can find food and nesting options, they will be OK. 

And since our winter was so mild, there are probably plenty of insects still hanging around.

As far as finding a home to nest, even though the leaves dropped off of the deciduous plants, the warmer weather has already pushed out new growth.

So I will rest easy that with the help of Mother Nature, the little birdies will be fine.

What, however, that Mother Nature can’t completely attend to are the domestic animals like dogs and cats that depend on humankind for survival.

This week I had the opportunity to visit the pound for a story I will be doing in the future, and I saw first hand felines and canines that need a home.

These animals at the pound have either been handed over to the facility or snagged off the street because they have no owners.

Because the Vicksburg facility can only manage a certain number of animals, the dogs and cats are not as fortunate as birds, and if they are not adopted will eventually have to be euthanized.

The dogs at the pound all seemed to be frisky and friendly the day I visited and the cats were purring away.

This would definitely be a practical place to look for a pet is you are so inclined, and for only $20 you can adopt an animal.

Paws Rescue will then spay and neuter the animal for free and give it its first set of shots.

The thought of any animal having to be put down just because it has no one to take care of it is heartbreaking.

So please, if you decide to become a pet owner, consider adoption. Make sure owning a pet is a commitment you are ready to take on. And, for Pete’s sake, spay and neuter your pets!

Mother Nature we are not, but that doesn’t mean we cannot help her out.