Two eagles awake to the sound of thunder, or rather, a helicopter that hovers overhead. While mama eagle flees, papa defends their eggs but is captured, leaving mama to raise three eaglets by herself.
Speaking of single moms, Mary is overwhelmed by Lissy's teenage surliness, so when Mary's father dislocates his hip, sending Lissy to assist him seems a blessed relief until she discover he's just taken in a runaway with a wounded owl. Reluctantly, she decides to entrust her daughter's fate to her father's vigilance.
Shep is just an old dog, doing what old dogs do.
This is not a whimsical tale, but a poignant story of the banality of evil, the impotence of good and the unexpected voice that suggests that what we do, for good or ill, might actually matter.