The story of Jack and Jill

Del tells me this true story.

The story takes place when Del was the owner and manager of an RV campground.

Pull up a camp chair, settle in with us, and enjoy . . . .

Scene from Midland Long Term Visitor Area, Blythe, California

~ ~ ~

Del begins . . . .

“I come out of the campground office one day and I see this couple outside by their RV, looking up at the trees. There are a lot of sparrows around at the time and these two are standing there, looking up and whistling. I go over to find out what’s going on.”

The woman chokes back tears as she explains.

“I opened the door and Jack flew out! He’s up there somewhere with the other birds and he won’t come back!”

The couple tell Del that they have two sparrows that they’ve raised as pets. The woman found them when the little things didn’t even have feathers. Using an eye dropper, she fed them and kept them alive. The two sparrows survived and thrived. They named them Jack and Jill.  Often the sparrows would sit on their shoulders.

Well, all the whistling and calling is in vain. Jack doesn’t come back. The couple give up and go sadly on their way.

“Several days later,” Del continues . . .

“I’m outside working on something at the campground when a friend of mine — he operates heavy equipment — stops by. . . just to B.S. . . . .

“We’re standing there talking when all of a sudden his jaw drops and his eyes bug out. At the same time I feel something on my head. I reach up and cup my hand around it. I bring it down and look at it. Sure enough, it’s Jack.”

Del immediately gets busy.

He creates a cage for Jack.  He picks up the phone and calls the couple.  The woman answers.

“I’ve got Jack!” he exclaims.

Well, she’s ecstatic, of course, and  shouts the happy news to her husband.

“Where are you?” Del asks.

“Quartzsite.”

(Del is in Snowville, Utah, which is about 740 miles from Quartzsite, Arizona.)

“I make them an offer,” Del continues. “I tell them I’ll meet them halfway at the Hot Springs Motel in Caliente, Nevada.”

It’s over 450 miles from Snowville to Caliente.

Del takes off for Nevada with Jack riding quietly in his homemade cage on the passenger seat.  Most of the drive is in the dark.

About eight hours later, Del and Jack the sparrow reach Caliente.

“This part is unbelievable,” Del remarks.

“I still find it hard to believe,” he adds.

Of course, I’m on the edge of my camp chair waiting for what comes next.

“As I drive into the motel parking lot — the couple has already arrived — Jack goes crazy! He’s flying and flipping over in his cage, chirping and singing. It’s like he’s gonna’ have convulsions, he’s so happy and excited . . . .

“I take Jack into the room. Jill’s in her cage and she goes nuts. They let her out and I let Jack out.  Jack and Jill fly toward each other.  They’re flying together around the room, doing loop-de-loops, singing and carrying on. They’re absolutely delighted to be together again.”

“I sleep for a few hours and get back on the road for home.”

Del pauses.

He’s remembering the Jack and Jill reunion.  Meanwhile, Roger and Reggie chase Skeeter in front of us.

“How did Jack know Jill was at that motel?” Del wonders. “I don’t know. Birds must have a way of communicating that we don’t know about. You never saw a happier pair of sparrows than those two. And Jack KNEW Jill was in there waiting for him!”

“Isn’t that sumpthin’,” I add, smiling at the happy ending to his story. “I imagine the couple were pretty thrilled, too.”

“Oh, yeah. They never thought they’d see Jack again.”

Postscript.

(Don’t you love it when a story has a postscript? You think it’s all over and then there’s more!)

“One day I get a letter, ” Del resumes. “A nice, long letter. It’s from Jack the sparrow. It even has little bird scratches on it.”

Del glances at me and grins.

“I saved the letter. It’s at my house. In the letter Jack thanks me for bringing him back to Jill.

“Jack says:  I’m very happy. Mom and Dad let me out every morning. Jill and I fly out the door and play outside with the other birds. At the end of the day we come back inside. Mom feeds us and takes good care of us . . . .”

rvsue

NOTE: Thank you for your interesting, helpful comments in response to the previous post regarding whether to purchase jumper cables or a power pack. I’ll return to that subject in the next post.   — Sue

THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG!

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71 Responses to The story of Jack and Jill

  1. Dawn in NC says:

    First?

  2. Pat McClain says:

    Hi! First???
    WOW!

  3. Robin B (Oregon & Arizona) says:

    First?

  4. Pat McClain says:

    OK, tied for first, lol. I love those boys! So much personality.

  5. milliehubbard says:

    Wow! You guys are fast…it just hit my inbox!!

  6. Nancy in California says:

    Wonderful story!! I love happy endings AND postscripts! Thanks for brightening my day!

  7. Dawn in NC says:

    Thanks so much for that lovely story Sue. It brings a smile to my face! Birds are quite amazing creatures.

  8. Bruce says:

    First???

  9. Ann M in Virginia says:

    What a great story! Thanks, Sue. It’s cold and rainy/icy here in Central Va so a heart-warming story hit the spot! Ann M

  10. eliza says:

    aw, I’m tearing up. what a wonderful story. what a wonderful guy, and wonderful couple, and wonderful couple of sparrows. this made my day.

  11. ReneeG from Idaho says:

    Maybe in the top 10 again?!

  12. D Reed says:

    Kind of funny when you said to pull up a camp chair. When I first saw that you had posted I went to the kitchen to get a cup of something. Then came back laid down on the bed and re0pened my laptop. I made an event of your latest post like I often do. But hey it’s not a camp chair but that’s all I’ve got right now. .
    Dave R

  13. Judy J. from S C. says:

    Truth IS stranger than fiction! Loved the story. Del is one super-great guy!

  14. DebS says:

    That was heartwarming! Glad I stopped reorganizing closets to read it. 💓

  15. Dave in Missouri. says:

    Just shows that true love wins out

  16. Judy in East Texas says:

    Hi Sue and crew, once again you have delighted us all with such a sweet story. What a surprise that Jack even came back and even better that Del drove 450 miles to return Jack to his rightful mate.

    By the way, your top picture of the crew is so precious.

    Stay safe out there my friend, Judy

  17. Calvin Rittenhouse says:

    I enjoyed that story a great deal! The picture of the boys chasing each other’s nice, too.

  18. AZ Jim says:

    Del’s Jack and Jill story is a winner and so is Del! Who “woulda thunk” it?

  19. Dawn in Mi says:

    Lovely story. Thank you for sharing it.

  20. Martha in PA says:

    Absolutely great story! Thanks for sharing. I love the image of Del driving that tiny bird all that way. And then for Jack to sense Jill was nearby….love it!

  21. ApplegirlNY says:

    That story makes my soul happy. God bless Del.

  22. Don in Alaska says:

    Well, it seems Del really is a nice guy — to drive that far to drop off a bird to ‘home’.

    And very sweet for Jack the Sparrow to ‘write’ Del with an update. The story shows me that at least some people still have an appreciation for others and their feelings.

    Thanks for sharing the story, after a day of snarky ‘news stories’ it was a breath of fresh air.

  23. Marcia GB in MA says:

    What a wonderful story! There is goodness in the world.

  24. Paula in Indiana says:

    What a delightful story! Thanks for sharing it, Sue. I think a lot of animals have a sixth sense, a sense that we humans have mostly forgotten how to use. Kinda like pets who go to the door ten minutes before their humans pull up in the driveway!

    I am beginning to think of Roger, Reggie and Skeeter as the “Three Caballeros” 🙂

  25. Deena in Phoenix says:

    Ah, such a sweet tale from a very nice gentleman…thanks for sharing…makes me feel happy…helps to keep the blood pressure low…smiling and laughter.

    Take Care RVSue and Crew

  26. Tesaje says:

    Del sounds like a great person. Dogs recognize their owner’s car. Jack may have cued to their car and got excited. The more we research animal cognition, the more we learn they are smarter than we thought. The trend is never dumber, always smarter.

  27. Joe in TN says:

    Del is a super guy. I was afraid that Jack had joined the swallows in Capistrano, but he wouldn’t want to go there without his gal pal. Great story!

  28. Jeff from Paradise says:

    I wonder what Jack Sparrow was doing during the time he was loose by himself. Perhaps looking for buried treasure….

    • Pat in Bulverde, Tx says:

      Wondering if I’m the only one that caught on to Jeff’s “Jack Sparrow/hidden treasure” reference… :-D.
      Good one, Jeff!

  29. I love the story of Jack and Jill…so sweet. Which reminds me of a jack rabbit I raise as a young teen. Grandma use to tell us animals have feeling just like humans so don’t be abusive.

  30. Geri in the FL panhandle! says:

    HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY! 💗
    Love good stories with happy endings!
    Del is really a gentle kind hearted man and you can tell him I said so! 😀
    That was really an amazing story! So glad Jack and Jill are together again! How smart was Jack to choose Del’s head to land on? He must have seen Del’s heart and knew this was the human to take him home! Happy story.
    Hug the boys from us! Love ya Sue!
    😀💗💕😀

    • Barb in Florida says:

      Hi Gerri – How ya doing? I’m reading your old blog, back in 2010. Is there one before that?

      I looked at all the comments to see who wood think like me about the sparrow couple. Yours was closest. I wonder after Jack had his fun, he went back and only recongnized Dell. He was there while they were whistling. He could’ve landed on the other guy’s head. I wouldn’t be surprised if those birds figured out the phone call. Jack maybe even heard the lady’s voice. If they were at the RV park long enough, maybe Jill even recongnized Dell’s engine sound. Or ESP.

  31. Linda in TX says:

    That story just made my day. 🙂

  32. Barbara(Nashville) says:

    What a great story! Thanks for sharing. I think animals must sense folks that would be good to them. Seems Del is quite an animal lover regardless of the species.
    As far as them sensing there owners are near, I think that is true. When I was in the hospital in April & my DH was in rehab, my neighbor kept Angel for me. My other neighbor had picked me up and I hadn’t been home 2 minutes, when the neighbor watching Angel called to see if, by chance, I was home as Angel had run to her door and was barking and dancing around like a little nutcase. So instead of resting as I intended, I had to walk up there to get her. She was so excited to see me, even though she loves that neighbor.

  33. Libby Nester WV/PA says:

    Such an awesome thing to happen. Del is such a special person for meeting them half way. 🙂

  34. Ed says:

    Sue,
    Responding to what you said in reply to my posting about white corn tortillas.
    “You can tell a difference between yellow corn and white corn tortillas? Your palate is more highly refined than mine. 🙂”

    It is not so much the palate (i.e. the taste or flavor) it is more the texture and the appearance of white corn that I prefer. Then when I have breakfast out on shopping days I prefer to get a flour tortilla. The ones I get at Los Manjares De Pepe – Fortuna are about the same size as a corn tortilla, very thin and warmed just right! 🌮

    • rvsueandcrew says:

      I enjoy reading your blog, Ed. I don’t know why, but I like reading what you eat for breakfast in restaurants. Vicarious pleasure, I guess. 🙂

  35. Sarvi in OR (currently in Iowa) says:

    What a sweet story! As a kid I rescued a few birds, I’ve always been an animal lover, no matter what the animal is.

    I’ve finally left Michigan! I’m in a penske truck, dragging a bunch of my mom’s stuff back to Oregon. My traveling partners are my son and my mom’s puppy. One of mom’s wishes was that my son and his wife take her beloved puppy. Thankfully the pup is a great rider!

    • Barb in Florida says:

      Wishing you and your companions a safe & pleasant ride home. Glad the puppy is riding well & can stay in the family. I thought Iowa was a nice state to drive thru.

  36. Jan Johnson says:

    What a great story! And what a great guy Del is to drive that far to return Jack to his family. I wish I could have seen that reunion!

  37. Denise - Richmond VA says:

    Hi, Sue,

    I was sittting on the edge of my camp chair, hoping for a happy ending. All I can say is awwwww….so sweet. Del is a true animal lover, to go out his way to reunite Jack with his family (thank you, Del!) 🙂

    Thank you for sharing such a sweet story! 🙂 Sending you and those rascally boys love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! N’nite! 🙂

  38. Jo in OR says:

    Just what I needed tonight…an uplifting bedtime story. Thank you for sharing Del’s Jack and Jill story. Birds are amazing. Hugs to the three amigos. Go ahead and hug Del too.

  39. Rover Ronda (WA) says:

    What a cute and rather amazing story ❤️

  40. Eileen says:

    I luv that sweet story about Jack and Jill. Yes, it’s amazing that animals know things that humans can’t possibly know. Del’s Jack and Jill experience is far better than the nursery rhyme I learned 70 decades ago!

  41. Krystina says:

    LOVE that story!!!! Del is an amazing man! Where do I find one of those in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont????

  42. Davy Boggs says:

    I was absolutely sure that after driving 450 miles, Dale would be told that the “Jack” he delivered was not really Jack at all and just some strange sparrow that randomly sat on Dale’s head. I was sure it was the wrong bird.

    I am not pessimistic by nature but that sounds like something that would happen to me, a 900 mile round trip carrying the wrong bird.

    I am very pleased to be wrong sometimes.

    Davy

  43. weather says:

    What an enthralling story, start to finish, wow! Del is such a wonderfully caring person, so are the two people that raised and have Jack and Jill. Just feeding newborn birds takes real dedication. I can well imagine their feeling devastated when Jack wouldn’t come back to them, and their elation at having him returned to be with Jill again.

    The sparrows must have been relieved beyond description to be reunited. I’m sure they enjoy socializing with other birds, but their unique circumstances make them the only companions for each other that would keep them happy and content. I believe many types of animals, including birds, can communicate(with each other and with some humans) in a way we don’t understand.

    Yes, I do love it when a story has a postscript 🙂 ! Wouldn’t you love to know about it if some creature you’d helped was doing well now? I often wonder how several of the feral cats my Polly once lived among have adapted to the homes they went to. Yesterday she and Kyla napped with their paws touching, so much like children holding each others’ hands…it was so sweet seeing them do that I had tears in my eyes as I watched them.

  44. Pauline in Mississippi says:

    What a great story!!! Del sounds like a super guy. How many would have traveled that far to reunite 2 sparrows?!!!

  45. Diann in MT says:

    This story represents the best of humankind. Today, let’s each of us in our own way, go one more step to help out another, human or other critter.

  46. Andrea from Glendale says:

    Sometimes I fret over what seems to be the disorganization of my life, and then I read a heartwarming story that you shared with us Sue. It picks me up, sets me straight and moves me forward with purpose. THANK YOU

  47. Terri in Tx. Nice and nippy! says:

    Great read, great story! Love a good animal story, especially if it ends well.
    You have a knack for telling a good story!

  48. rvsueandcrew says:

    Good morning, Blogorinos!

    I knew you’d all enjoy the story of Jack and Jill! Who wouldn’t? It’s uncommon to hear a story where all the characters are good and the ending is exactly how we wish it to be.

    Thank you for responding and adding more delight to this post. Some of you appreciated a “bedtime story” and others liked the reminder that there are good people willing to do for others, even for a lowly sparrow.

    Diann in MT‘s comment is one of my favorites:

    This story represents the best of humankind. Today, let’s each of us in our own way, go one more step to help out another, human or other critter.

    Feel free to continue the conversation,
    Sue

    P.S. to Krystina…. Keep looking! They’re out there, even in Vermont!

  49. Doug Laning says:

    That is one sweet story.

  50. Marilu in northern California says:

    Hi Sue,
    I’m watching the southern California weather and wondering how you are. I know your very desert savy. I hope you’re safe and comfortable.

  51. Laurie in NC says:

    Love the story! Del is such a great guy to travel so far to reunite Jack and Jill!

  52. Cynthia from San Clemente says:

    Del’s story had me on the edge of my seat – I was so afraid there was going to be some terrible ending. Del is a wonderful guy to drive Jack back to the sweet couple who raised him. I believe what Henry Weston says in his book, “The Outermost House,” that animals live “in a world older and more complete than ours [and] move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.” It always amazes me that my dogs alert on people or other dogs walking by the house, even when our double-paned windows are tightly closed. How do they know??

  53. Val R. Lakefield Ontario says:

    Great story. Del sounds like such a wonderful person. Quite amazing the sparrow landed on his head. So happy to know Jack and Jill were reunited.
    Blogerinos who use Facebook might like the page Canuck & I. He is a wild crow who lives in Vancouver. He flies free yet has a special bond with a man named Shaun. A documentary has been made about him.

  54. Robin in Arkansas says:

    Hello RvSue and Crew! After finding this sight a couple of months ago I’ve gone back in time and traveled through your lives for the last several years. Every night after work I come home and get to go places and see things that I can only dream of. I have another 2 1/2 years before retirement and can’t wait!
    I live in Arkansas now but lived in West Texas and New Mexico most of my life. I always said if I ever got out of the desert I’d be the happiest person in the world. But seeing your pictures reminds me of the unbelievable sunrise and sunset’s! I’m so ready to get on the road and enjoy the sites. Thanks for giving me a goal to work towards! I have two grown kids that seem to poo poo my thoughts on this lifestyle…..I tell them if RVSue can do it I’m pretty sure I can too. Ha!
    Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for being so straightforward with the writings of your life. Believe it or not I so appreciate that there are other people out there that love and hold dear their “alone” time.

    • rvsueandcrew says:

      Hi, Robin! Welcome! I’m so happy you decided to become a blogorino!

      Thank you for reading my blog from the beginning. Also thank you for introducing yourself! I hope you will keep riding with me and the crew as you work your way toward retirement. Several of my readers are on that track, too.

      I’m happy my blog has you rediscovering what you miss about the desert. Yes, the solitude and serenity are a big part of what the desert offers!

    • Terry says:

      Don’t give up your dream Robin. My adult kids poo poo my plans too (they think their mom is nuts) but I plan to start at the end of this summer.

  55. Such a great story!! Thanks for sharing in your wonderful and engaging style.

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