One summer one of our calves disappeared so our boys and I set out in the “boonies” to hunt for it. When we found it after hunting for a couple hours we noticed a hawk’s nest in a tree and one of the boys climbed up and found two baby hawks in the nest. They wanted to take them home but I said “no." They coaxed and I gave in and allowed them to bring one home and leave the other one with its mother. Little did I realize he would become an intimate part of our family for years.
The boys fed it strips of meat and other things it liked and he grew rapidly. During the day they would take him outside and tie him by the leg so he couldn’t fly away. Every day his mother and the one we left in the nest would fly over and circle above him for a visit. Finally, I said that we’d have to let him go so he could be with his mother and brother. The kids were sad and took last pictures, but “Henry”—the name we gave him—wouldn’t leave.
Our house became Henry's home. He would land on the window sill when he wanted to come into the house for food or just a visit, and I can still see him pecking at the window when he wanted to come in. He’d come right into the kitchen and survey how things were going. He had a wing spread much longer than my arms so it was quite a sight when we opened the window for his visits.
We had bought a Franklin Stove in the States, had it shipped here, and it kept our large kitchen super warm. When Henry got wet he’d come in, perch on the wood box next to the Franklin Flreplace, and spread those long wings out to get them dry. We have pictures of that.
When we played ball in the yard he’d sit on the clothesline post and turn his head 180 degrees when he wanted to watch the action. He was mischievous and would snatch Valerie’s hat and drop it in a place where the snow was deepest. In my mind I can see her now angrily scrambling through deep snow to get her hat.
Once when Vicky was waiting for the bus to go for her piano lesson he landed on her shoulder. A car going by stopped and the driver came running to help her, thinking she was being attacked. She waved him off and told the man that Henry was her friend. Another time Henry's loving sweep near my head injured my eye sending me to the doctor for treatment.
One day when a lady newspaper reporter was interviewing us in the living room, Henry flew into our wide entryway, thence into the house swishing right past her. Her look was one of disbelief, but she kept her composure.
Henry had a special place where he would sleep in any kind of weather. The kids would go to that place to check on him knowing right where he would be after dark.
In February 1977 we decided to leave Japan after having lived there 17 years. (Valerie, our oldest of nine was nine months when we arrived in 1960 and was going on 17 when we left.) We were wishing we could take Henry with us. But it was not to be.
One night a cattle buyer came to buy our cow and other animals we had on our farm. (Farm animals listed in October diary:10 calves (I heifer) and a milk cow, a pony, steer, 2 pigs, 40 laying hens, 6 ducks, 1 falcon, 1 hawk, 1 blue heron, 1 monkey, 2 cats, I dog, 12 rabbits, 2 bandies and 3 goats.) He had heard about Henry and asked us if we would sell him. At first I said we wouldn’t but since he belonged to the boys they chose to sell him for $50. They went out to get him like they often did at night but he was gone! DID HENRY KNOW WHEN HE SAW US PACKING TO MOVE THAT WE WERE LEAVING?
