An Unexpected Visitor
You know those days that start out so well, anything could go wrong? You know those days that start out well, and then go wrong, but then right themselves so you can go on and have a great day anyway? Yesterday was one of those days. It all started out so innocently. It was humid, hot, the kind of day that quickly becomes incredibly hot and melty, but in the beginning of summer is still very welcome. I got out of bed with only a little help from the alarm and managed to get the dog fed and watered, Brennan's lunch, breakfast and tea made, got myself fed and watered, and all in good time. I was laughing that the dog had gone back to (my) bed, and I was about to sit down to write yesterday's blog post when I heard it...
Ting, ting-ting-ting. scratch.
It came from the top of the chimney. I wasn't worried, but Brennan immediately thought that a squirrel had climbed onto our house and was in our chimney.
"Don't be ridiculous! The squirrel would have to climb twenty feet of siding, and then another 2 feet of smooth metal to get into the chimney. It is just another bird catching bugs on the top of the chimney, I've heard it before." I grab my tea and a glass of water and put them beside my laptop, which is in the living room, right in front of the fireplace.
"Babe, I'm telling you, it is in the chimney!"
"Brennan, it is not in the chimney, it is at the top of the chimney. If it was IN the chimney, you'd hear a Whump and a clatter" My last words are, of course, interrupted by a "whump and a clatter" and then a little screech and flapping sounds.
Crap. There's a bird in my chimney, right above the flue if I am hearing things correctly.
Brennan says, "QUICK! Grab a box to grab it!" and gets a shoe box (which I'll have more details on later, LOL) for me to put in the bottom of the chimney to "catch" the bird. How I'm going to close the lid on it, I have no idea. But, I put the box in the bottom of the fireplace and then close up the doors.
The Unexpected Visitor Tries to Get Out
I pray a little bit, something along the lines of, "Please God don't let this actually be happening," and then, "Please God don't let me kill the poor little bird," and then, "Please God, don't let me get my eyes pecked out or get rabies from this damned, poor little bird."
I open the flue.
A rather sooty little black bird comes clattering into the fireplace and starts to panic as it finds its way blocked by the doors and screen of the fireplace.
Okay, next plan.
"QUICK!" I say to Brennan, "Grab a big recycle box, close all the curtains, get the dog into a bedroom, close all interior doors, and open all the exterior doors!" I'm telling him this, of course, as I'm doing it, and he is staring at me like I'm crazy.
"If we close the curtains, and the interior doors, it won't have anywhere to fly but out the doors!"
Comprehension dawns on his face.
I grab the giant recycle bin and my gardening gloves, just in case. I curse myself for not being fast enough to grab my sunglasses so that I don't get my eyes pecked out, or rabies, from the poor, damned bird.
I pray.
"Please God, don't let this poor little bird die from stress in my house." and
"Please God, don't let this bird crap all over my house."
I open the doors to the fireplace...
The Unexpected Visitor, Gone
And he flew right out the door, no scrabbling or freaking out at all. Just flew out like it was the way it was supposed to be all along.
Which it was.
And it allowed us to have a really good day after that.
Especially because I didn't get my eyes pecked out or get rabies from that poor, damned bird ;-)
Have a great day,
