Friday, March 13, 2009

A neighborly visit

Kids were asleep. House was clean. I sat sewing at our kitchen table, feeling decidedly domestic and wishing I had on red lipstick.

And a little fellow that looks like this hopped through our back sliding glass door.


It tilted its head to the side and looked at me. I looked at it. It's liquid eyes seemed to size me up and finally pronounced me safe.

It hopped around the room for a while, each hop a little closer to me. I sat frozen, barely daring to breathe. I felt the compliment it deigned to give me with its prescence. I slowly reached to turn off my sewing machine -

but not slowly enough. It exploded into the air, escaping in a flurry of buttery feathers.

Five minutes later the bird came back with a friend.

It must have been a girl bird.

They paused at the door, trying to nonchalantly saunter in - no doubt embarrassed by the discourteous exit from before. I recognized my previous acquaintance; she was bolder, having been here already.

The pair inspected my plants, the artwork, the furniture. All met with their approval. I realized I'd forgotten my manners, and went to fetch them some refreshment. My original friend fluttered back to wait by the door, but her companion turned tail back home. Rude.

My friend waited for me. She pecked at the crumbs I offered, keeping one eye on me all the while. She seemed to say thank you with the way she turned her head.

After the repast, she politely preened and powdered her nose. I excused myself and continued sewing. She watched for a while, then flew over to the shelf covered in pictures of my loves. Examining each one, she tweeted and twittered her questions about my children. No doubt she had observed their play and was wondering where they were. We talked like old friends. I told her the strengths of one child, the triumphs of another. My hopes for them and the things that kept me up at night worrying. She listened. Occasionally she'd turn around and gaze at me intently. Maybe she was trying to tell me she had children she worried about, too.

We both felt the visit had come to an end. She circled the room once, then landed a few feet from me, pecking at a few more crumbs she had previously overlooked. I offered her my warm thanks for the visit, and welcomed her back any time.

Then she crapped on my floor and left.

And I slammed the door shut.

30 comments:

Kristina P. said...

Hahaha! What a good friend.

Just SO said...

Well of course she crapped on your floor you never even offered her a drink!

Actually that sounds like a wonderful visit. Except for the last part.

Kristi said...

Some friend!!!!

kristi said...

That was such a cute post!!!!

Stephanie said...

What are you, a freakin' Cinderella? Next time let the bird take over on the sewing machine; I hear forest creatures make lovely ball gowns. :)

gigi said...

What were you sewing? I stayed up way to late last night sewing baby burb clothes and light weight blankies. I'm behind by 3 on my baby gifts and they all want and expect the same thing.

We welcome and bird watch all the time. It would be such a treat to have one come in the house, the girls would love it. We just filled the feeders up yesterday and they are already a 1/3 the way down. It's fun. Sorry about your floor!

rebecca said...

Poor thing. I think she is really bad at goodbyes.

I am sure she will twitter about your hospitality, only in the noises birds make not the not that great, but surprisingly popular website. (I just don't get it, really.)

Oh, and I was laughing pretty hard.

Lara Neves said...

Awww....I was all ready to make some sappy comment and then came the surprise ending!

I would have slammed the door shut, too!

Jan said...

That is so funny that she "dropped" by.

Shawn said...

Loved the story.

And I loved how you slammed the door---I would have, too.

Ugh, bird poop.

Unknown said...

That's how I end every visit I make to my friends. I don't like to encourage company.

Unknown said...

Sounds like the story of my life!

Jody Blue said...

As with all friendships there's a little poop to deal with.

The Prices said...

I never have fun comments like everyone else, but just thought I'd let ya' know that gave me a laugh I was in great need of.

Kazzy said...

LOL Loved this. Great description and a surprise ending!

Barbaloot said...

Just like new/old friends. They totally overstay their welcome.

Kathy P said...

Hey -- you could be a disney princess -- I thought that only happened in the movies...
Except the last part... that sounds like real life.

Melanie Jacobson said...

Somehow, I just knew that ending was coming. Birds are dumb. Even the pretty ones.

Susan Anderson said...

Oops. You shouldn't have given her the bread crumbs!

(Thanks for your kind comment on my blog. If your mom enjoyed her phone call as much as my mom did her blog post, we've got two very happy campers...)

=)

Wonder Woman said...

Perhaps this is where Brazilians picked up their habit of visiting unannounced? Or did the bird learn it from them?

In any case, sorry for the crapola. :o)

J. Baxter said...

Your bird encounter is so incredibly different than the one my little sister (regarding Annie) just posted about. I can only imagine what she'd have done if the bird had come IN...

Jill said...

Oh, this is beautiful....and FUNNY! Oh, and your my new best friend for leaving such a nice first comment on my brand new grown up blog!

Hel said...

That's why I don't like visitors. Too much crap to clean up after they leave.

The Motherboard said...

That was a great post. Maybe in bird world that means "Hey! You're pretty sweet and I'm gonna bring my whole fam-damily over tomorrow at noon. I expect food. And lots of it!"

Tobi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tobi said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog. It really made me laugh. Your guess about my movie quote is not right though. It's FRIED GREEN TOMATOES! Love that flick!

Perhaps your bird friend was merely marking your house as her favorite. I'm sure it was a compliment.

3 Bay B Chicks said...

Best post ever!

This is why all of my friends are through the internet. I hate bad guests.

-Francesca

PS: Actually maybe I should have said that this post elicted a belly laugh from me!

Anonymous said...

Whoooeee! First I read the Sisters in Zion post and had tears in my eyes and then read this one and just about fell off my chair laughing. Thank you for this post.

Nikki said...

LOL! As I was reading this I was still sniffling about the sacrament meeting post with the song "As Sisters in Zion." Then I'm thinking, Wow- Brazil must be amazing. How awesome is this girl to let a bird fly around her house. Wow. And then I snorted at the end.

Elizabeth said...

HA-LARIOUS. I'll have to read this one to Darcy. :P