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What does a Realtor and an Ostrich Have in Common? Huntsville Texas can answer that!

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Brooks Prime Properties Wichita Falls Texas

August 26, 2008 10:45 AM

Texas rural roads are an interesting drive. Here in Walker County we have wildlife on the ground like we have birds in the air! Lots of wildlife...did I mention lots and lots? Yes, bunches. I was returning from a home tour out by the lake and had the pleasure of driving back from the Lake Livingston area on Hwy 980. Our National Forest and highly protected area is thousands of acres along this road. It's a very beautiful drive.

I was coming around the corner when I saw something that made my mouth drop.

Right there in the middle of 980 was an Ostrich! A very big one! The best I could tell he was quite lost and displaced (duh).

This is the Ostrich I saw. I panicked! I attempted to pull to the side of the road and get out to help the Ostrich. He would see me coming and run and run and run. Now with large trucks and type A Realtors driving this road I was very concerned. It wouldn't be like running into an armadillo...or a squirrel. This bird could cause a major accident.

911...911...911...911...yes, I did. I didn't know what else to do!

I kept driving up and down the highway trying to get Mr. Ostrich to go back through the

fence into the National Forest! ostrich.gif image by dabydoll

They answered...she made me repeat it three times. "I'm on highway 980 and there is an Ostrich running all over the road and it's a very big bird"

...I then hear laughing in the background.

Is 911 suppose to laugh at you?

They patiently explained to me that there were no Ostriches in the National Forest...I said "no, it's on 980." I did the best to explain where I was and they were sending an officer. About that time I was finally able to get my Ostrich to re-enter the proper gated area and he went bounding into the National Forest.

Whew! That was so close. I called 911 yet again and told them the crisis was over. At that time they informed me that I had seen an Emu...an EMU. They thought I was really funny thinking it was an Ostrich. emu

I was a bit embarrassed but hey...don't you think they look alike?? Wouldn't you worry if one was running up and down and across the highway? I'm a very displaced city girl here...but I love it.

This is the Texas Emu.

Below we have the Ostrich... Ostrich

Now, granted I had never heard of an Ostrich in Texas but don't you agree they look pretty much alike?

Lessons learned:

1. There are no wild Ostriches in Texas.

2. If you see an Ostrich in the middle of the road and you dial 911...

call it an Emu.

Later in the rain~Deb

www.brooksprimeproperties.com

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Sondra Meyer:

EXP Realty, LLC - Corpus Christi, TX

See It. Experience It. Live It.

Deb, so this is what I come back to? lol. What a great, funny story!!!!! I loved the picture of the ostriches face. I can just see you trying to chase that bird off the highway.

By the way, I have seen Ostriches in College Station, so it didn't seem to unreasonable to think you might have them in Huntsville. Granted, the ones I saw were at the Vet School. Seems like people have tried raising them and the emus a few years back. Are you really sure that it wasn't an ostrich? Someone might have turned it loose because they couldn't sell it.

Regardless, GREAT story.

Aug 26, 2008 02:03 PM

Deb Brooks

Brooks Prime Properties Wichita Falls Texas - Wichita Falls, TX

Yvette, It gets a little wild around here...especially since everything is suppose to be simpler in the country. I don't buy that!

Gary, I'm not so sure that it wasn't an Ostrich! In my mind it certainly was! It didn't look dark like that Emu thing...

Sondra! You're home! Welcome back my dear. How was it? Is your son happy and are you happy? Was it intimidating? Is he signed up and in already? What's happinin? Catch us up. We are glad you're back safe and sound. We want lots of pictures....got it?

Later in the rain~Deb

Aug 26, 2008 02:11 PM

Judi Morgan

RETIRED - San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, TX Real Estate

Deb, will call you this week. It's busy, another possible listing (thanks to AR), final walk-thru at 6:00 tomorrow evening -- closing at 4:30 on Thurs. Hey Deb, I bought a FLIP Camera last week -- would have been fun (funny) to be with you and be able to video you running around trying to get the ostrich/emu back into the fores!!!! LMAO just thinking about it! :))))

Aug 26, 2008 02:22 PM

Deb Brooks

Brooks Prime Properties Wichita Falls Texas - Wichita Falls, TX

Jude, I would love to have a flip cam! Do you love it? Is it easy to work? Personally I'm glad you weren't there with it! You could be there but leave the camera behind! Ha! We'll talk.

Later in the rain~Deb

Aug 26, 2008 02:34 PM

Judi Morgan

RETIRED - San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, TX Real Estate

LOL, I played with it a little, but deleted the few things I recorded during the pre-wedding parties. It is very easy to use. I plan to play with it more and hope to have something to share -- need another week or so.

Aug 26, 2008 02:48 PM

Ricki Eichler McCallum

CastNet Realty - Corpus Christi, TX

Broker,GRI,ABR, e-Pro, TAHS

Hi Deb, So glad I read this blog LOL This is so funny. I have a good imagination and I can see it all now. The picture you took, he looks so cute and lost :(. Glad you took the time to help out. I would have done the same thing :)

Aug 26, 2008 04:23 PM

Lisa Heindel

Crescent City Living LLC - New Orleans, LA

New Orleans Real Estate Broker

Deb, this is the funniest thing I've read all day!!! Now you KNOW you are a blogger when you are not only chasing wild birds around the highway, but stopping to take a picture along the way :)

Aug 26, 2008 04:29 PM

Scott Comey

RE/MAX Elite - Everett, WA

I pictured the whole event unfold in my mind as I read it...and you looked funny out there on your phone chasing the bird.

Great story!

Aug 26, 2008 05:02 PM

Jennifer Fivelsdal

JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY

Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Deb - I would have called 911 but I certainly would not have approach such a big bird. Glad there was a happy ending.

Aug 26, 2008 05:37 PM

Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist

Kingsbridge Realty, Inc - Hubert, NC

Deb,
You are a brave (?) soul, I've heard these birds can get pretty nasty! We never know what we encounter in our days, makes life pretty interesting, doesn't it? Love the photos, keep the camera handy--commandment #1 of a blogger.

Aug 27, 2008 12:13 AM

Jason Crouch

Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX

Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

Deb - There is an emu farm not too far from our house, so I have seen them a few times when I drive by there. However, I probably would have freaked out and called it an ostrich, too!

Aug 27, 2008 04:37 AM

Tiffany Burke

Group one real estate - Corpus Christi, TX

LOL. that is hilarious...well I'm in Corpus Christi Tx but I thought an Emu was one of those sheep looking things with long necks.

Whoops, okay nevermind ! Now I'm embarrassed my daughter just informed me that was lama I was thinking about.

Okay now you don't have to feel so bad, at least you were in the bird category.

Aug 27, 2008 07:56 AM

Nancy Morgan

Century 21, Carole Realty - San Diego, CA

This is s great story. I can imagine how shocked you were to see an ostrich (emu)on the freeway. You responded admirably. Congratulations!

Aug 27, 2008 12:44 PM

Rick Trowe

Cerium Learning - Tulsa, OK

Go With Trowe

Great story telling and very funny. I used to be a 9-1-1 operator (offcially how it is to be written in case someone can't find the "11" button on the phone). Yes 9-1-1 operators are supposed to laugh at you. They record the calls so they can share them with operators on other shifts and get more laughs out of it. The PC thing to do is to mute the phone so you, the caller, can't hear them laughing.

Aug 27, 2008 02:11 PM

Kim Southern- "Sold" with Southern Hospitality

Century 21 In the Mountains - Ellijay, GA

Greetings from the North Georgia Mountains!

What a great--and hilarious--story! The mental image of you chasing an emu around is priceless!

Thanks for sharing...

Aug 27, 2008 03:49 PM

Doreen Johan

RE/MAX Sunset Coast - Saint Joseph, MI

Sunset Coast Michigan

Great story! Reminds me of the time I called 911 locally and told them there was an alligator in the tree next door ( I live in St. Joseph Michigan) . They responded with chuckles and sent over the cruiser, a fire truck and an ambulance while we all rescued a pet lizard! A LARGE pet lizard stuck in the tree! We still laugh about that one around here.

Doreen Johan Selling Southwestern MIchigna Homes one at at Time. www.johanrealestate.com RE/MAX Sunset Coast

Aug 28, 2008 01:14 AM

Jacqueline Tolstyka

Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors - Cheboygan, MI

Realtor - Selling Beautiful Northern Michigan

Oh Deb, That's so funny, that ostrich face looks like a guy I had a blind date with years and years ago.....boy what a night that was, I never agreed to a blind date again.

Aug 28, 2008 01:38 PM

Lindsey Hasford

Edina Realty - Elk River, MN

Bringing you home...

Deb - I totally would have made the same mistake. The poor EMU. Can you imagine if he'd heard them laughing at his quandry!?!?!?! I will definetely take notice and call the animal the right name if I have to call it in.

Aug 28, 2008 03:33 PM

Linda Breeding

Keller Williams Realty - Pinehurst, NC

Oh Deb - This is just so funny - hey I would have thought it was an ostrich, I didn't know they even had emus in TX. Doreen - an alligator in a tree (in Michigan, no less, maybe in FL but Michigan!) LOL. There's no wildlife this fun in NC. :)

Aug 29, 2008 01:52 PM

Deb Brooks

Brooks Prime Properties Wichita Falls Texas - Wichita Falls, TX

Ricki, I wish we were closer together ya know? I'll bet we could fill our time with some laughs.

Lisa, I may look silly but I carry the thing to the grocery store too!

Scott, Thanks alot Scott. Yes, I imagine I did. At the time I felt the need. Go figure...

Jennifer, He was more afraid of me than I was of him...my brain may be smaller...

Cynthia, You aren't kidding. He was just too scared to be mean. Really. I felt sorry for him.

Jason, Yea, I knew about Emus but I, like Tiffany thought the same thing!

Tiffany, Yep, me too. That's why I never thought that wouldn't be an Ostrich, Thanks... ;-)

Nancy, Don't you mean I'm a little nuts?

Rick, OMG, they recorded my call? Ugh. How embarrassing! wow...I hope they had a good laugh!

Kim, Thank you. Priceless? Maybe. I didn't like being alone. All those trucks honking and stuff.

Doreen, That's a blog! Write it up for the Diary girl! That's a winner! I love it. Makes me feel better.

Jacqueline, I'm trying to envision that. Hummm...poor baby. You are so lovely! What were they thinking?

Lindsey, I don't doubt you would have made the same mistake. I'm sorry you were'nt with me! We could've herded him back in without the 9-1-1 call!

Linda, gee, you make us all sound crazy! ;-)

Later in the rain~Deb

Aug 29, 2008 02:40 PM

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