28 March 2009

It's started

 
Something woke me. Some noise, I come instantly awake, worried about "my babies," my hair standing on end.

I get a housecoat and flashlight, walk through, counting heads. th'Mr in bed beside me, breathing well. Two cats in bed with us, Raleigh & Nameless. Booger in the living room, Klutz asleep in a chair, the dog Grrrl asleep in another, Shorty on the dog bed. In the kitchen, Sapphire on the table over the heater. Back into the living room; Winston asleep on the laptop case. That's all but Roadie (as usual). Sweep the flashlight under the bed. th'Mr stirs, says, "what time is it?"

"Quarter to four," I answer.

I lay back down. Five minutes later, realizing I'm indeed wide awake I get up, go in the kitchen, heat a mug of milk with almond extract. Tense, I spill a little too much almond into the milk. To the computer, check mail, check facebook.

Drink my milk, start a game of mahjong.

The noise! Again! The flashlight in the chair with me, in my hand, I follow the noise. Booger, shoulders hunched, heads to the stoveroom. I follow. He's under a table. I say his name. He stops. I reach for the noise, grab the baby bird.

It tries to bite me. I talk to it, take it quickly outside. There's a hanging basket, empty. Bird into basket, basket into fragile tree limbs. Maybe I'll be lucky. Sometimes when I check, they're gone. Other times they die in the basket.




Back in the house, muddy feet, Booger sulks, still under the table. I pet him, praise him for letting me have the bird, for there being no visible damage.

It's started. I love Spring, but not this part.



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