Flesh Eating Bacteria

Did your mom ever tell you to drop that pretty pretty feather you just picked up off the ground because it was CRAWLING WITH GERMS?

But they're so pretty.
And totally awesome to pull the little fibers apart. 

I started up a project today that involves feathers, and it got me thinking about our mother's fear of feathers. Is it valid? Will we -one day- tell our young child to, "Drop that feather immediately! It's chock full of disease!"?

Oo, feather in the wind. 

A quick and totally scientific Google search found hundreds of immediate bird-feather-caused contagions. Including [but not limited to] lice, salmonella, bird flu, absolutely terrifying flesh-eating bacteria, and parasites.

So thanks, Mom, for telling me to drop that feather. I think.