I had planned on writing a simple and sweet entry today about my new vinyl wall art I purchased on Etsy. I absolutely love my custom design from
http://www.markjamesdesign.etsy.com/ See! I have a bird in my family room. (insert ironic foreshadowing here)
Of coarse the creatures of our home had another plan for today's blog entry. It all started this morning...
I awoke at 6:45a.m. and immediately noticed that no dogs had woke me up. Not a good sign as usually the whining for breakfast starts at this time. Dugan has had an upset stomach the past 2 days and had me up a few times in the middle of the night to go outside, so I thought perhaps he was sleeping in later to catch up. I would.
But of coarse in a dog's mind the avoidance of normal routines means something else. I stepped down the stairs and the glorious smell and sight of doggie diarrhea greeted me. My living room was toxic...hence the quiet on the western front.
On auto-pilot I rolled out the steam cleaner and for the next 35 minutes detoxed the living room. The last 15 minutes of mass clean-up the dogs all decided they then wanted breakfast. Whining, pacing and head butting me as I tended to the carpet just in case I had forgotten my real purpose in the morning...feeding them. I opened the doggie door and told them to go sniff around and leave me alone so I could finish my cleaning in peace. Seeming like a good option at the moment they all went outside.
I cleaned out the steam cleaner tank and set it aside to dry. I then lined the 3 dog food bowls and 2 cat bowls and proceeded to fill them with their appropriate food. Before I could even call the dogs inside a shrill shrieking sound made me jump in my socks and the sound of a comedic multi-dog and cat chase through the doggie door into my family room followed.
Brody our 2 year old cat had Robin-Baby in her mouth. The source of the shrieking. She darted across the family room and into the kitchen with wings flapping from her mouth. She was followed by Fiona, Caelan and Dugan in hot pursuit. I screamed "Drop it" and amazingly Brody did, not out of compliance to my request but probably because I scared the bejeeses out of her with my high pitched scream. She ran upstairs in fear. The dogs circled the bird in the kitchen like it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened in our house. Fiona, God love her, pointed.
I hauled Caelan and Fiona by their collars into the laundry room and shut the door. Dugan remained at attention as I hauled him into the living room and put the baby gate up. I should mention Sully my Siamese cat sat in the family room on the ottoman interested in what was going on but unmoved. He's so zen.
Robin-Baby was zig-zagging across my family room. I opened the sliding glass door wide and he passed it about 4 times. I attempted to steer him towards the door several times like a cowboy rustling cattle but he just kept buzzing past it chirping shrilly. He then chilled under my computer desk and in the corner near the doggie door alternately. I snapped a few pictures and let heart rates slow down a bit. His and mine.
I went back in my mind to my limited experience with parrots at the vet hospital I worked at and recalled we wrapped them in towels for procedures. I grabbed an old beach towel from the muddy paw basket near the doggie door and gently wrapped Robin-baby in it. He stopped squawking and for a moment seemed to trust the one thing this morning that didn't want to eat him.
I grabbed the key to the gate and took Robin-Baby outside and into the front yard and he let out a few chirps from inside my towel. The Robin parents perched in my front elm tree started nervously twittering in response. To thank me for saving their lone offspring (not for the first time might I add) they proceeded to dive bomb my head. I ducked like a soldier getting fired upon and furled open the towel. Robin-Baby hopped out and nervously headed over to the shrub line. Not even a "thank you" mind you.
Hence the excitement of the morning was over and I could go back to my day. I got back inside and surprised Dugan who had knocked over the baby gate and was finishing the last bowl of food from the counter. Yes, the dog with digestive upset and diarrhea ate all 3 dog bowls and 2 cat bowls of food.
I'm keeping the steam cleaner out. I also hope my decorative wall art bird is the only bird I'll see in the family room for awhile.
