Yesterday I was sitting in my chair, relaxing, doing nothing and feeling good about it. Then the furnace clicks on and there is a bit of a racket coming from the direction of the china cabinet. It sounded a lot like the mad fluttering of a bird in distress. “Couldn’t be,” I thought to myself. We had a new flue put in and birds shouldn’t be able to fall into the chimney and get stuck behind the wall… where the china cabinet sits. Only in winter does this happen. Sitting up on the chimney, getting warm and then passing out because of the CO2 fumes. Then clunk and later… the mad fluttering.
In the past I had to move the cabinet from the wall, a big heavy thing, across a thick carpet. Then pull the baseboard out. Then place a box in front of the hole we had there for the bird to escape. Eventually the bird would make its way into the box. Cover the top with another piece of cardboard and set the bird free outside. Then put everything back into place.
We had a new furnace put in and supposedly a new flue that should have prevented any bird from falling in. Somehow this bird made its way inside. With my bad back I couldn’t move the cabinet like I use to… but we put in hardwood flooring and now the cabinet slides easy. We also made the hole behind the baseboard a little larger at the time.
What to do this time? Leave the bird there to die a slow death? No way! So I got up, went to the cabinet, moved it (and it was easier to do), pull the baseboard off (not that easy) and went and opened the back door so the bird could make its timely escape. I watched as a beak appeared in the opening. Then the bird stuck out its head. It watched and listened for any sign of danger. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement on the couch in the next room. My cat was sitting up, ears forward, listening to that strange sound in the living room. Cat? Cat!
I picked up the furry feline (is she getting fatter) and put her in the entrance hallway. She had the look in her eyes that said, “what are you trying to hide from me.” Just before she leaped back in I closed the door and heard her head bump lightly against the door. I looked over to the hole in the wall and said, “the coast is clear now.” After a brief pause the bird made its re-appearance. With a jump and a flutter it went into the air and made a bee-line for the back door. Out she went.
I went to the back door and there was the bird, sitting on the fence, peering at me with one eye and I can’t really tell, but it seemed to have a relieved look on its face. Then I said, “There, there, little bird, you’re out and safe. Please go tell your buddies about the adventure you just had. Warn them of the danger. Oh, and have a good day.” Just then the bird gave a little bob of its head. I said “you’re welcome.” And off it flew. Did I see a smile on its face? Hard to tell with birds. So I closed the door and went and let the cat back into the room. She did not look too pleased that I denied her the pleasure of the hunt. Then again, that’s life.