My mom used to read to me every night before bed.
Fairy tales and adventures
and animal stories.
LikeTrumpet of the Swan.
Those were my favorites.
I remember, no matter how sad
or scary things seemed in the middle,
Mom would always say to me, "Don't worry, Frankie.
It's gonna have a happy ending."
And she was right.
But this isn't just any story.
This is the story of my life.
Even though I'm only ten.
You Ginny Newsom?
Yeah. What's up?
I found this swan in the parking lot
of the See & Save.
There's blood under its wing.
You brought him to the right place.
Call Dr. Betts.
Tell him it looks like a shotgun wound.
That's the last one.
Just a few stitches and we should be done.
What do you think? I'd say, all in all,
this is one very lucky bird.
No organ damage. If it doesn't get infected,
he should be fine.
I'll, uh,
clip his wings so he doesn't get feisty too soon.
When that swan got shot,
it wasn't the end.
It was just the beginning.
Pretty soon, he was better.
And then things became really interesting.
Good luck out there.
Come on, guys! Let's go! You're gonna be late!
Okay, Dad, we're coming!
We're coming!
Hey, Kyle, did you take my hairbrush?
Morning, Frankie.
Hey, easy on the jelly.
Okay.
Cool.
What are you guys doing here?
Frankie, you better have my lunch ready!
And I'm not kidding. Next time, you better ask me.
Where'd you put it? It's on the counter.
Beat you to the bus.
Bet you won't.
What you looking at?
Give me those. Whoa.
Man, look at the size of those things.
Hey, guys. Bus is here. What are you doing?
Swans.
I was wondering
what we were gonna do about dinner tonight.
Dad.
Come on, tree huggers,
or it's double chores this week.
Move it.
Can we go and see the swans after school?
Well, that depends on how fast you can sweep the shop.
I guess that means no.
Have fun, guys! We will.
Morning, kids.
I'm done.
Bye, Angie.
Hurry up. It's gonna get dark soon.
I'm coming.
Dad said we got chores first.
We will. Later.
I better not get in trouble. And what about Stretch?
He's at Amanda Nethercott's.
Not again.
Do you think they're gone?
They just got here.
In the book, they stayed all summer.
Wow.
And then right as the geese were swimming across,
the bigger swan started flapping and trumpeting
and rushed at them with his wings out like this.
And all the geese freaked out and honked and flew away.
And that's when we saw that he has this bracelet thing on his leg.
Mm. It says F-16. So we named it the Fighting Falcon.
Get it? The F-16 jet's called the Fighting Falcon.
Yeah, I get it. All right, let's eat.
Cool, huh?
I think you guys are full of it.
Why would a swan care
if geese were on the pond?
Birds can be territorial if they're nesting.
You mean like... laying eggs?
I don't know what they're up to. They're birds.
But it-it could be a reason
for chasing other birds out of their territory.
But, listen,
I'm gonna say this just once, Frankie,
you can look at them all you want,
but don't touch them, don't feed them,
don't get too close to them, okay?
You understand? These are wild animals,
just like a bear or a fox, all right?
They're not to be messed with. You got it?
Okay.
Kyle?
Yeah.
Stretch? Yeah.
Good night, slick.
What do you got there?
Weren't you reading this?
Yeah. I'll get back to it.
Can you read me some?
Don't you know that by heart?
So?
Just one chapter.
Come on. Scoot over.
All right.
From the beginning? Yep.
Okay.
"Walking back to camp through the swamp,
"Sam wondered whether to tell his father
"about what he had seen.
"'I know one thing, ' he said to himself.
"'I'm going back to that little pond again tomorrow.
And I'd like to go alone.'"
So what's it say?
They can live up to 20 years.
That's old. And they can weigh up to 30 pounds.
I think that's more than you, Frankie.
Is not. What do you know?
It says here swans are omnivorous.
What?
It means they'll eat anything.
Even Dad's meat loaf?
Kyle, come on.
It says they have a wingspan of eight feet across!
Is that all?
Hey, Box!
Don't worry. We left plenty of work for you.
Okay, thanks. I was worrying about that in sixth period.
See ya, Lars.
Did Dad tell you, the swans that came here are gonna have babies.
They could have six babies at one time.
Oh, that's got to hurt.
And they're called cygnets. And then they'll teach 'em how to swim. And then
they'll teach 'em how to fly before the pond freezes.
Right here. And we'll get to see it all.
We're going for pizza.
With him driving?
Yeah.
Yeah, no way.
I'm really looking forward to eighth grade.
All right, your loss.
Just ease her out slowly.
Oh, whoa!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Slower than that, okay?
Just take your time.
There you go. There you go.
Let's get the oars.
There's something big up ahead.
Whoa, Dad was right.
I want to get closer.
Oh, I'm not sure, Frankie.
I am. Come on.
Eggs.
Told you.
Go away. Let's get out of here.
Let's go.
Hurry, Kyle, come on.
I think I broke my arm.
Unbelievable.
Kyle.
You're lucky that bird didn't break your neck.
And, Frankie,
do not think for a minute I don't know whose idea this was.
Frankie.
Frankie, get up. The power went out.
Again?
Yeah, again. Come on.
Come on, guys, the bus will be here any minute!
Let's go!
7:25.What time is it, really?
All right, guys, come on,
hustle, you're gonna be late.
Let's go!
Tell Dad I'll be down in a minute.
What are you guys doing up there? Hurry up.
Get your bag.
Here. No time for lunches.
How's your arm, buddy?
It hurts.
What happened?
Looks like it might've hit the power line.
It's not The Fighting Falcon.
No.
It's the mom.
Why don't you guys go wait for the bus.
Listen, uh,
we'll-we'll bury her when you get home from school, okay?
But she has eggs, Dad.
I know, and...
I feel bad for them, too, but we just
have to let nature take its course, okay?
It's not fair.
I know.
Just go ahead. Go on.
She was one of your glorious creatures, Lord, and we're
proud that she decided to make this her home.
We'll hold her close in our hearts, and... and keep her
memory with us, forever.
Ask him to watch over the eggs.
And dear Lord, please keep a
watchful eye over this swan's eggs and
make sure that they hatch
and keep 'em safe from harm, and
and...
God bless America.
Amen.
Amen. Amen.
That was real nice, Box.
Thank you.
All right, kids, let's go.
God bless America?
Hey.
You're not done yet?
Give me a break.
Whatever. Your clothes take longer to wash than mine.
Do not. That's, like,
the dumbest thing you've ever said.
No, dumbest thing I ever did was let you go first.
I'd be done by now.
Go cool your jets.
Hey.
What? We already know you're ugly.
Dad's on a delivery.
Did you want to go look?
Keep a look out.
Hurry up, Frankie.
I am.
Here, switch.
Well, what now?
We keep 'em warm until they hatch.
Keep what warm?
Now, I'd like an answer.
Keep what warm? Stretch?
Well, we...
We-We got the eggs out of
the nest and we're gonna take care of 'em.
Frankie, I told you not to interfere.
You were just gonna let the coyotes get them.
You were gonna let them die and we saved them.
Okay, so what now, huh? What are you gonna do with the eggs?
Kyle's looked it all up and we're gonna keep 'em
warm until they hatch and give 'em
food and water and bugs
and whatever they need.
I expect you two to know better.
Hand it over.
Go wait outside.
I'll deal with you in a minute.
Frankie, look, you-you can't keep these eggs.
They're wild animals, they're not pets.
And you better wipe that look off your face.
I made myself real clear about this,
and you disobeyed me twice.
Now finish cleaning your room
and I'll... decide what I want to do about the eggs.
Mom wouldn't have left them out there.
Kyle, you broke your arm going down there.
I told you guys to stay away from there.
You're supposed to be
setting an example for Frankie.
You understand?
Come on.
I don't want to say this again, okay?
Do you know what to feed baby swans?
I've got a question.
Do you know how to take care of baby swans?
Do you know what to feed baby swans?
If this is a medical emergency,
please hang up and dial 911 immediately.
Hello. Veterinarian.
You've reached the veterinarian's office.
Veterinarian's office. Veterinarian's office.
- What's a orthi... - Ornithologist?
What? That's somebody that studies birds.
Well, do you know one?
Sure. I got a number right here.
It's area code 541...
Northwest Wildlife Trust.
Hi, I'd like to speak to an
orthi-nologist?
An ornithologist?
It's someone who studies...
Yeah, I know. The other guy told me.
See, I need to speak to one because
I need to know how to take care of baby swans.
Okay, is this for a school project?
I want you to do your homework, all right?
No, it's just, if I don't,
then my dad will make me put the eggs back,
and I think the coyotes might get them.
- You have swan eggs? - Yeah. See,
they came to our pond, and built a nest,
but the mom died and, then...
I forgot. Before that, we went to go look for the eggs,
and the Fighting Falcon attacked us,
and we got in big trouble.
Kyle broke his arm. Kyle's my brother.
All right, do you have swans,
of do you have a falcon? Swan is a big white bird
with a long neck, and a falcon is... They're trumpeter swans.
We just call the dad the Fighting Falcon
because he has this bracelet thingy on his leg.
When I grow up, I want to fly jets in the Air Force, and...
Hang on a second.
What did the bracelet thingy have on it?
F-16, the Fighting Falcon?
Frankie, I think you ought to be done with that room by now!
I got to go.
So, can you tell me how to take care of them or what?
Yup. Why don't you tell me where you live first?
I'm gonna check over here.
Yeah.
Hey there, stranger.
Excuse me, sir?
Uh, yeah? Hi.
Uh, can I help you?
Uh, yes,
I'm Tim McMurray.
Uh, Jack Peterson.
Jack. And this is Ginny Newsom.
Hi. I heard you had some swan eggs?
Uh, yeah, my daughter does.
Frankie, get over here!
Are you the bird lady?
I am.
She's gonna teach us how to take care of the swan eggs.
The best way to take care of the eggs is to show me
where they are so I can make sure you haven't harmed them.
I'm pretty sure she hasn't... harmed them.
But, uh, yeah, we would appreciate some help.
Great. Where are they?
Just, uh, inside here.
We were... we were gonna put them back this evening.
Great.
Doesn't look too bad.
Wait. You can't take them.
Yes, I can. But-but, Dad, she was gonna tell me
how to take care of them!
Okay, look, just slow down a second.
My-My kids think they rescued
these eggs, so... Ginny.
They should never have been removed from the nest.
I get it, but they were removed from the nest...
Kyle even got his arm broken,
and we all got extra chores and everything!
Look, my kids are invested in these eggs,
so if you could just be a little patient
and explain to them... They aren't play things.
They're very important birds.
We saved them! They're ours!
Listen, the swan you call the Fighting Falcon is part
of a national research project I developed
to reintroduce trumpeter swans into the wild.
We maintain habitats, track populations, hatch eggs,
band birds and rehabilitate them when they're injured.
I hatched and raised F-16 from an egg,
and I patched him up when he got shot this past winter.
He's my bird. These are his eggs.
That makes them mine.
Well... well, wait a second.
I'm sorry.
But... Frankie, it's okay.
Wow.
Hey, lady,
you may know a lot about birds,
but you don't know a thing about kids.
Wow, Ginny, I had no idea you were such a people person.
Yup.
After the bird lady left with my eggs,
the Fighting Falcon stuck around.
And even though he was the only one left,
he made our pond his home.
No, not-not there, guys.
Put it with the other ones.
Don't drop it.
So, I was thinking about the camping trip today.
Yeah, we got to start planning.
Stretch, it's your turn to decide. Any thoughts?
Uh, maybe Green River Lakes?
Green River Lakes could be good,
or we could go back to Henry's Fork.
You guys loved that last year. Yeah, remember
that cutthroat I caught, Dad? He was huge.
I don't care, guys. We all got in a heap of trouble last time.
Stop being such a baby.
We'll see who the baby is.
Hey. Quit it.
Hey, Kyle, guess who am I.
Mmm. Amanda.
Oh, Stretch, you're so handsome.
Missed me. Hey, how about a little less fooling around, huh?
What are you guys doing?
Stretch has decided on the camping trip.
Oh, yeah? Uh, yeah.
I was thinking about maybe Wallowa National Park.
Wallowa? Place is full of tourists.
Why Wallowa?
It's got good scenery.
All right, fine.
Come give me a hand when you're done.
Hey, Dad, I think that might be
where the bird lady might have took the swan eggs.
And, you know, maybe if one day the fishing's bad,
we can go and, you know, have a look just to see.
Ah. Now it makes sense.
I'll think about it.
Okay.
You owe me.
I was so wound up on the way to Wallowa,
I didn't even care that Stretch drove most of the way.
Kyle kept telling me to quit squirming,
but I could tell he was excited, too.
They're about two months old now,
and they're doing really well.
Come on, they're out here.
Whoa! Are these all the different swans?
Yeah, we try to keep track of the different flocks
and the birds we've tagged.
Oh, look, that's us.
Hello.
What are you guys doing here?
Oh, well, we were at the park,
and the kids really wanted to come by and check on the, uh
eggs, the-the birds and, uh, see how they're doing.
Oh, Yeah. Sorry. We don't allow public access to the birds.
We have to limit
their human contact as much as possible.
Ginny, come on.
A quick peek wouldn't hurt, right?
Okay.
Let's go.
Thank you.
So, we have a visual barrier set up
so that they don't get too used to people,
but you can look through that slot.
Whoa!
Look, Dad.
Where are the other two?
Only three of the eggs were viable.
What she means is that
only three of the eggs hatched.
The other two... they were...
They died?
Three out of five is actually a very acceptable ratio.
Was it because of me?
'Cause I took them out of the nest?
No, not every egg in a clutch hatches, even in the wild.
It wasn't your fault.
Let's give 'em names.
Thank you. This really means a lot to her.
Yeah, she's dedicated.
Headstrong is what she is.
Once she gets attached to something, it takes wild horses
to drag her away.
I can relate.
Um, how about that one Alpha?
Yeah, that one
can be Bravo.
And the small cute one
can be Charlie.
I think that's a good idea.
I check on the Fighting Falcon every afternoon.
Do you? He's still there?
Yeah.
All right, guys, let's get going, huh?
Yeah. Thank you.
Bye, Ginny. Bye.
Bye, Tim. Bye.
Time to take out the trash.
Dad.
Yeah, that, uh... that wasn't so bad, was it?
My summer vacation was over,
and for Dad, that should have been the end of it.
Hi. Hey.
He-hello?
Jack, right?
Right. Uh, what's-what's this?
It's time for these birds to be released back into the wild.
Here? Yeah.
Ginny!
Whoa. You brought them back?
Wait. Hold on, hold on. Yeah. This is their home.
No, no, this is my home.
A-absolutely not.
Don't you understand what kind of distraction this will be?
What I understand is, these birds need
to bond with an adult, learn to fly
and get led south for the winter.
It's their best chance at survival in the wild.
This is where their father lives, so
this is where the babies go.
No, no, lady, I'm not running a wildlife refuge here.
This is a business. I don't come
to your job and cut down trees.
Well, no, I work in a national forest.
That would be illegal.
Well, this is, uh... this is illegal, too.
You're-you're trespassing.
- Dad! - No, no.
You are not raising
these birds on my property.
She is most definitely not on your property, Jack.
Government land by what,
two or three inches?
This is unbelievable.
Charlie, you're getting so big.
What are you doing?
We got to get him used to the cygnets being in the pond.
So we have to build this pen.
Well, how come you don't just let them go right out
and be with their dad?
Because of lack of early imprinting.
He might be territorial.
What does that mean?
Territorial?
The Fighting Falcon might not remember the babies,
so he might think they're intruders.
Then he won't teach 'em how to fly?
He might try to kill them, won't he?
It's a possibility, yeah.
But that's why I'm building the pen.
I'm trying to keep that from happening.
You want to help?
Yeah.
Sure. All right, hang on to it.
Got it?
- It's no big deal. - If Ginny needs anything else,
we'll just come back and get it. Hey.
Where you going?
Down to the pond!
We're taking our break.
Yeah, and my wood, too, huh?
It's scrap, Dad.
We'll be back in ten! Soon as we run this
down to Ginny!
- They're still not coming, Dad. - What?
I yelled down for them 20 minutes ago.
At least.
Hey. Didn't you hear me calling? It's dinnertime.
No. Sorry, Dad. Go on then.
Come on.
See you later, Ginny. Bye.
I don't know why you're spending all this time and energy.
Why don't you just let nature take its course?
Nature? Power lines and buckshot
aren't a part of nature, Mr. Peterson.
Did you know that these birds
were hunted so ruthlessly in the '30s
for sport that there were fewer than 70 left in the entire country?
How do you think Frankie's gonna take it if you open this pen
and that swan comes over here
and pecks his babies to death, huh?
You gonna give her this "stewards of the land" speech?
She's ten.
Well, then she should be old enough to know
that life can be cruel sometimes.
She knows.
Eat up.
Come on, guys. Dish up.
I finished my chores early so I could come down and help.
Frankie, I'd love to have your help
and I actually like having you around,
but I can't afford to make your dad any angrier
than I've already made him.
I don't know what he's so upset about, but
he could make things really difficult for me
around here if he wanted to.
Dad-Dad said we can come down and help
as long as we finish our chores.
He's just mad about... well...
My mom died.
She died two years ago.
And...
Dad says we just have to move on, you know?
That's how nature works sometimes.
Yeah.
But not always.
Sometimes we can give nature a hand.
Hand me that wire cutter over there.
All right, we're gonna cut these off
so that they're not hanging off, okay?
Frankie. Come here.
He's coming over.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
He's leaving. No, no, no, no.
This is good.
He has to get used to them being there.
He'll be back.
You guys should go, too. Your dad'll be here soon,
and every bird within five miles will be scared away.
Bye, Ginny. Bye.
Oh. I almost forgot.
Dad told me to invite you
for dinner for tomorrow night.
Your dad wants me to come to dinner?
Okay.
Should I bring something?
No. Dad's cooking.
You are so asking for it, Frankie.
What's next, Dad?
Why don't you set the table.
Here. Set the table and I won't pound you.
Dad wants you to set the table.
Kyle, get the buns.
Hi.
I hope I'm not late. Um...
Frankie told me not to bring anything,
but I couldn't resist, so...
Oh, wow. Uh, sorry.
No, no, no. No, no, no, you're... Sorry.
Yeah, you're right on time. Come in.
Just... It's, uh... it's just about ready.
Thanks. Ce flowers.
Thank you.
It's, uh, Sloppy Joe night.
I see that.
I'm a vegetarian.
Um... we've got baked beans and pickles.
You can make a bean sandwich.
When I get back,
I want the table cleared and the dishes clean.
Yes, sir.
You do know I spend six months out of the year
tracking birds through the wilderness alone.
I can find my camper.
I'm sure you can, but, uh, I got to be an example, don't I?
Yeah, I guess you do.
It must be hard raising three kids alone.
Yeah, that's why we have Sloppy Joe night.
Can I ask you a question?
Sure.
Why do you spend so much time working with birds?
I mean, aren't-aren't they just... birds?
Thanks for dinner, Jack.
No, I... I didn't mean it like...
It just seems,
so lonely.
Think about what I do and why I do it
the next time Frankie looks at those birds
and her face lights up.
Maybe then it'll make a little more sense.
Good night.
Open it all the way.
There's a hook on the other side.
Okay.
Come on.
Get down, get down.
Good luck.
Look how cute they are.
- They're all doing what he does. - Are they?
Yeah, it's just like something I read about
in Trumpet of the Swan.
That's good. That's what we want.
That's still my all-time favorite book.
You know, I've never read it.
Mm-hmm. Ally?
Our mom used to read it to all of us when we were little.
She said if she were a swan,
this is where she'd want to live.
She was right.
You know, when I was little, I only had one tree
in front of my apartment building.
One tree?
Yeah. I lived in Chicago.
And that one tree was in the middle of a sidewalk,
and it had just a little, small patch of dirt around it
about this big, and somehow, in this whole big city,
all the birds were able to find this one little patch of nature.
And in the spring, it was full of birds.
All different kinds of them, and they were always singing.
And I loved it.
They always know how to find the best places.
They do.
Hey! Hey!
Hey! Stop!
Stop!
Turn that thing off!
Are you insane?!
These are very sensitive creatures, Jack!
You can't just turn their habitat
into a construction site!
But... If he thinks this isn't safe, he'll leave, and
that'll be the end of it, Jack. What are you thinking?
Well, I-I'm thinking I would, uh, bury the power line
so when they start flying, they'll be safe.
You're burying the power lines?
Well, I... yeah, I mean, you know,
just these ones near the pond.
And, I... I, uh...
I got these, uh, flappers here
for the, uh, county lines out by the road.
On the Internet.
I don't know what to say.
How about, uh, thank you?
Thank you.
Hey, Ginny?
Do you want me to get you a robe or something?
N-No. I'm...
I'm just gonna go back to my camper.
Just keep it down.
Yes, ma'am.
Nice boots.
My, uh, cousin works for the electric company,
did it as a favor.
I thought you didn't like birds.
Well, that... that bird knew
those babies were his responsibility.
He's taking care of them.
Everything went wrong, and he's just
he's trying to turn it all around.
Just figured he could use a hand.
Or something like that.
Well, it was a good example to set.
Um, so, Frankie, uh, tells me
that, uh, swans mate for life?
What's-what's he gonna do?
Oh, he'll take a while, but he'll find another mate.
I guess I should go.
Okay.
Thank you for dinner.
Absolutely, yeah.
Bye.
All riders for the championship race should now report
to the starting area, please.
All riders for the championship race,
please report to the starting area.
Here's your helmet.
Just, uh, take it easy out there, all right?
Yeah, I'll do the riding, okay, Dad?
Good luck.
We'll-we'll see you after, huh?
Yeah, sure.
Hey, Stretch.
Hey, Amanda. You're gonna win.
Uh, yeah.
Who was that with your dad?
Uh... nobody.
I'll see you after the race.
Great.
All right, folks,
just minutes till the gate drops,
but I want to take a moment to thank
our Summer Series sponsors:
Wheely Moto Sports,
Karsten Brothers Realty and Peterson Custom Doors
for making sure the track is tacky
and ready for speed.
Here we go!
The racers are all settled.
They're hot and ready.
They're revving up, waiting for the start.
And
they're off!
Trying to fight for the lead,
and Peterson pulls in front.
Go, Stretch!
Out of the gate, Peterson hits on his brakes.
But he holds him off.
Peterson just won't let him go by.
This is one fantastic race, folks,
with the top riders,
they're just going neck-and-neck.
There's only 30 laps left to go.
Excuse us.
Um, I'll take a corndog and a grape soda, please.
Something for you, ma'am?
Yeah, I'll have a corndog, too,
and a grape soda.
Two corndogs, two grape sodas.
I thought you were a vegetarian?
I don't think there's a lot of meat in that stuff.
Thank you.
Make a move on Peterson,
and Peterson fights them off.
Don't tell your dad.
Yeah! Yeah!
He's got it. He's got it.
And they're coming in for the big jump.
And Stretch Peterson lays out
a Superman.
Yeah!
Wow, your brother is impressive.
Yeah, he's real good.
I want to ride, but Dad says I'm too young.
Saving up to buy a PeeWee next year.
You're not scared? No.
You just got to practice.
I ride the ATVs a bunch.
Stretch helps me.
They're on the final lap.
Peterson's still out in front
as they come around the last few turns down the hill...
And Stretch Peterson breaks the record.
My gosh, he won!
Way to go, Stretch!
Amazing.
Hah. He won.
I'll get her; You help Stretch.
Hey, sweet girl.
Hi, come on.
Okay.
I got you.
♪
I had
a really fun time tonight, Ginny.
Me, too.
Good night.
Hey.
Uh, I guess, uh,
I'll walk you back?
Yeah, yeah, I'd like that.
Okay.
I see a lot of you in Frankie.
She looks like her mother,
but I guess there's a little bit of me in there.
Can I ask what happened with her mother?
Well, Sara went in for a checkup,
and they found a lump.
They didn't really think anything of it,
but they ran some tests,
and it was cancer.
They said they... they caught it early,
so a 95% chance of
of
Surviving.
She was, uh,
only 37 and a fighter.
But four months later, she, uh, she was gone.
I'm so sorry.
So, uh,
Frankie really likes you.
Yeah?
What I meant to say was...
I really like you, too.
You know what, I, uh...
Sorry, I should get going.
Um... h, sorry.
The-the kids and... Of course.
Uh, see-see you tomorrow?
Yeah, yeah, of course. Okay.
Okay. All right, I'll just, uh,
let myself out.
The cygnets were growing big in a hurry, like weeds,
like us, Dad kept saying.
Kyle started to have
a hard time telling one from the other, but not me.
The babies were all gray, and the Fighting Falcon,
well, he was content to show them how to get by.
Smells good.
Yeah, good.
Thanks for cooking again.
My pleasure.
Pasta primavera again.
I wasn't joking when I said
it's the only thing I could make.
Well, I wouldn't worry about it, it's really good.
Oh, yeah?
Really good?
Really, really good.
Really, really good?
Really, really
really good.
Wow, that's really good.
Food ready?
Uh, yeah. Um...
Why don't you go get Kyle and Frankie.
Wow.
Ready, break. Break.
Okay. Okay.
All right.
Hut one, hut two,
hike! One Mississippi,
two Mississippi,
three! I'm open, I'm open.
Yeah, turn, go, get around him.
Yes.
Touch... down.
Really, Stretch?
Man, she torched you.
That's it.
Whoa, look at them.
Look at that.
Alpha, you are clear for takeoff.
There goes Bravo.
You can do it.
Come on, Charlie, you can do it.
Go, man, go. There he goes.
See.
He's going.
There they go.
Look at them.
They're gone.
No, no, no.
This is just a test run... they'll be back. Really?
Yeah, I promise.
Listen, the cygnets have to build up enough strength
before they can migrate.
I'll tell you what.
I'm so sure, that if you go over there and wait for them,
they'll be back in just a few minutes.
Okay.
When they leave, you're gonna follow them.
Yeah.
I know we didn't really get a chance to talk about this,
but... I don't want you to go.
I have to, Jack.
So, when will they leave?
Any day.
Come on, Charlie.
Come on.
Dad said we could go down and see the swans
since they're leaving soon.
Let 'em go.
Stretch.
I told you she wouldn't get it.
What?
What don't I get?
Your little family fantasy is over, Frankie.
As soon as the swans are gone, Ginny's leaving, too.
That's not true.
She would never do that.
Why don't you grow up?
I-I don't really think I want to go, either.
Kyle, what if they don't come back?
Don't you want to say good-bye?
You say bye for me.
But...
So, birds from this region usually stop
over here during migration, at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge.
They rest and eat,
and then they head down
to Oregon, for winter in Wallowa Lake.
Got it?
Yeah.
Ginny?
Are you awake?
Yeah.
Maybe the swans like it here so much
that they won't even go to Oregon.
I think they left.
Did you tell her?
No.
All right.
Thank you. Good night.
Good night.
Frankie.
Frankie, wake up.
Wake up.
Hi, Daddy.
Hi.
Uh, there's something I need to tell you.
Ginny!
Ginny! Ginny!
You can't leave!
Frankie, I have to.
No, you don't.
Frankie, listen.
I have to make sure the birds make it to Oregon, remember?
But then you can come back.
Come on, Frankie.
She's got to go now.
No, she doesn't.
No.
Frankie, say good-bye.
No!
Frankie.
Just let her be.
All right, say your good-byes.
Bye.
I'm so sorry, Jack.
Bye, Ginny.
I hope the swans make it.
I'll call you and let you guys know, okay?
Okay.
This is what I do.
I know.
I tried, Frankie.
I tried to get her to stay.
Well, you didn't try hard enough.
♪
Ginny was long gone.
And I couldn't help wondering,
just like in Trumpet of the Swan,
if I would ever see them again.
How does a bird know how to get from where he is
to where he wants to be?
I'll get it.
Hello?
Frankie?
Ginny?
I miss you guys.
Hang on, I'll get Dad.
No, no, no, no, don't bother your dad.
I just wanted to let you know
that we haven't seen the swans yet.
Shouldn't they be there by now?
It's Ginny.
It's way too soon to worry.
They, um, they migrate in stages, remember?
Do you want to talk to Kyle?
Sure.
Hi.
You should talk to her, Dad.
Oh, we're doing good.
We miss you.
Frankie, just, uh
leave it alone, okay?
Northwest Wildlife Trust.
Ginny, it's, uh, Jack.
Hi.
It's really nice to hear your voice.
I miss you.
Uh, Ginny... Um, I wanted to talk to you.
But I wasn't sure
if you wanted to talk to me.
Um, I didn't know things
would be like this.
Ginny, I-listen, um
uh, I'm calling because
look, uh, you
you can't call for the kids anymore.
Frankie needs to move on.
And... she needs to get past this.
And she can't do it if you're calling every other day.
Um, look, I'm sorry.
Uh, it's just
it's too much hope for her, you know?
Of course.
I understand.
Thank you.
Jack?
Yeah?
Do me a favor and, um
let the kids know
that three of the swans were spotted this evening.
Everyone but Charlie.
I was gonna call in the morning.
But, um
just let Frankie know, okay?
I'll tell her.
Okay.
Bye.
Good-bye.
Hey, guys.
What's up?
Well, I, uh, I talked to Ginny.
She said the swans finally made it there.
So, everything's fine.
Uh, and she's, uh, not gonna be calling
anymore, uh, so, uh,
we all need to just get back to our regular lives, okay?
She said that?
She said she's not gonna call anymore?!
Yes, Frankie.
The swans are there and,
so that's the end of it, okay?
Well, are they all okay?
Only two of the cygnets made it.
Only two?!
He probably, uh, got lost in the migration.
But, look, two-two
out of three is, uh, is really
a-a very acceptable ratio.
Which one was it?
Charlie. Charlie?
I want to call Ginny! No, no, look...
You're... Look, Frankie, this is over.
Even Ginny would tell you the same thing.
We just have to let nature take its course.
Somebody's gonna get it.
All right, guys, bus is coming up the hill.
Frankie was supposed to make lunches.
Ah, geez.
I bet she's still moping.
All right, here you go.
Thanks. Thanks.
Hey, Dad!
Dad!
One of the ATVs is gone!
This is Frankie about a year ago.
But I-I
it should still work. It's okay.
Glen.
Don't worry, Jack.
She'll run out of gas.
She'll be scared and she'll hunker down somewhere,
hoping we find her before it gets dark.
I hope so. All right. Excuse me.
The flyers will go out county-wide.
We've already had a few calls on the APBs here in Mink
and here west of Gold Creek.
We're checking those out now.
All right.
Hey, I brought you some joe.
Thanks, Box. Yeah.
Don't worry. We'll find her.
I hope so. Look.
Please, get these out there.
Okay? Sure.
Thanks, guys.
I think we got something!
I'm going down for a closer look.
It's definitely the right color vehicle.
Hold on a second... I think I see something moving in the woods.
Get out of here!
What are you doing?!
Go on, get out! Clear out of...!
That's a negative. I had a perfect shot!
Get out of here!
It's an adult hunter.
I'm circling back.
That's too bad.
I'm sorry, guys.
Come on!
Don't do this.
Move!
Where are you?
Charlie! Charlie!
Northwest Wildlife Trust.
Ginny, it's Jack.
Hi, Jack. I didn't expect to hear from you.
Listen, Frankie's missing.
What?
You want to stay evenly spaced, everybody.
Frankie!
Make sure you communicate with those around you.
Is everybody clear?
Look for depressions in the grass.
Laying down one way or another.
If it seems strange at all,
ask a rescue officer to take a look at it.
Frankie!
Seen this girl? No, I haven't seen her.
Okay, thanks.
Thanks for coming.
We're gonna find her, Jack, I promise.
Okay. Come on.
The groups out in the morning will be down here
around Lincoln and Drummond. Lincoln?
No. You're looking in the wrong place.
Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I've conducted
a few S&Rs in my time.
We start from where
the subject was last seen
and work our way out in all directions.
Now, we've been through every house
and every inch of woods in a 30-mile radius so far...
No, no, no, she hasn't run away.
She's looking for Charlie.
Charlie? E, in Turnbull.
Charlie's a young trumpeter swan.
Turn bull's more than 100 miles from here.
This is a ten-year-old girl we're talking about.
Now, even if you're right, and she's looking for a bird,
she can't have gotten that far.
I'm telling you, this is where she is.
We've talked about it.
I showed her the migration path on the map.
It's where I would go.
Dad, I-I think she's right.
Okay.
You drive.
Okay.
Stretch,
stay here, take care of Kyle.
Okay?
Okay.
Hi, Lester. This is Frankie's dad, Jack.
Lester's in from Turnbull.
He knows this place better than anyone.
Jack. Appreciate you coming out.
Hey, hope I can help.
Turnbull is 80 square miles of refuge.
Only one gumbo road is passable; The rest is on foot.
She's gonna be near the water.
Yeah.
That doesn't make it much easier.
You see, this place is a maze of marshes, bogs,
ponds, rivers, you name it.
Where do we start?
Let's hit the upper lake.
I'll take east, you take west. Here.
Stay in touch.
Thanks a lot, Lester. All right.
Frankie! Frankie!
Let's take the truck up a little further.
Okay.
Yeah, the forest service. Well, if they're on the upper lake,
would it help if we're over on this side?
Box.
Boys are here.
Hey, you guys hear anything? Hey.
No, we just came from the sheriff's; There's no news.
We didn't hear anything either.
Did you pass out the flyers?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, look, hey, hey.
We're gonna find her, okay?
Okay? Huh? Okay.
Here in southeast Washington,
it's 10:20 in the a.m.,
and Francis Peterson,
the ten-year-old of Blue bunch Falls
is still missing.
Searchers say the outlook is more desperate
with every hour, given the lack of progress
and the continuing drop in temperatures.
If you have any information
on the missing girl,
please contact the Washington State Pol...
She's a tough, smart girl, Jack.
We don't even know if she's here.
I know she's here.
I know it.
Ginny, come in. You there?
Lester, go ahead.
Hey, I got an ATV out here,
east shore of the upper lake.
What are the plates?
Hold on.
Okay, I got Washington.
O-X, as in x-ray,
1-I-3.
That's Frankie. It's her.
Keep going around the lake.
We'll meet you on the other side.
Will do. Out.
We're gonna find her.
We better.
Frankie!
Charlie!
What? What is it?
I think I saw something.
Frankie!
Daddy.
I found him.
I found him, Daddy.
He was hurt.
I know,
I'm in big trouble.
No, sweetheart.
You aren't in trouble.
You were right not to give up.
Sometimes nature does need a hand.
Hey.
Hi.
I was so scared.
Your mom would be really proud of you right now.
Okay?
Is he okay?
He's got an injured wing, but
he's okay.
You did a really good job, Frankie.
Can we go home now?
Yes.
Yeah, we can go home.
It was a pretty wedding.
Then Ginny made Dad set up a new observation area,
on our side of the property this time.
But it's a big world,
and I was worried, 'cause swans don't read signs.
Ginny insisted, though,
that Charlie and the Fighting Falcon
and the rest would come back and find us.
You guys, they're back!
Sometimes you have to fight for your happy ending.
Mom knew that,
and the Fighting Falcon seemed to know it, too.
When he came back with Alpha, Bravo and Charlie,
there was a new addition.
F-16 had a new mate,
and Dad could finally joke
that nature took its course.
Looks like we're back in business, huh?
I told you they'd come back.
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org