Wildlife Adventures
So, I'm housesitting. I'm watching a menagerie: birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, the whole shebang.
Today has not been my day.
The lizards get to eat crickets, which means I get to pick up crickets with my hands and feed them. Gross. With gloves, it's not that bad, but it does mean reaching into a box swarming with them and counting out the right number. Ew. I'm currently resentful that the crickets decided to up and die today before I could more happily provide for their demise by lizard, and that I had to go buy more, and then stick my hand into an even larger swarm. The lizards were happy though.
Then, as I went to feed everyone else their dinner, I noticed that one of the parrots was missing.
WHAT.
The large, main door to her cage was open. I've never touched this door, doing everything instead by way of the food and water doors. So, I pulled on thick gloves, grabbed a towel, and went parrot hunting. I'd been warned of where she'd likely dash to, should she escape, but alas, she was not there. So I began searching. In closets, behind doors, on top of furniture, under tablecloths, everywhere I could think of. Many frantic moments later, I found her under the bed.
Great. I had been given a brief lesson in parrot-catching, but it involved the parrot escaping while I was watching, and therefore still being in the open. Fortunately for me, the parrot came out once I tucked up the bed skirt, inching slowly towards the towel. I got her to walk as far as the door before I threw the towel over her - and she escaped, the towel on the far side of her now. Fearful of losing a digit to her beak, I went back, grabbed a heavier towel, and tried again. Success! Gently holding my squawking burden, I hurried her back to her cage, set her in, grabbed the towel, and struggled to latch the door. How that bird got it open on her own is beyond me!
In the midst of my parrot-hunt, I stumbled across a scorpion on the bathroom floor. After my initial fright, bounce, and shriek, I realized it was dead and closed the door, intending to take care of it after I caught the bird.
Upon my return, I opened the door and it waved it's little pincers in the air at me and started charging. Flinging the door shut, I raced around in search now of a big, heavy shoe. Triumphant, I returned and flattened the wee beastie into extinction. Victorious, I proudly took a picture of my kill.
That is what kind of day it has been.
Today has not been my day.
The lizards get to eat crickets, which means I get to pick up crickets with my hands and feed them. Gross. With gloves, it's not that bad, but it does mean reaching into a box swarming with them and counting out the right number. Ew. I'm currently resentful that the crickets decided to up and die today before I could more happily provide for their demise by lizard, and that I had to go buy more, and then stick my hand into an even larger swarm. The lizards were happy though.
Then, as I went to feed everyone else their dinner, I noticed that one of the parrots was missing.
WHAT.
The large, main door to her cage was open. I've never touched this door, doing everything instead by way of the food and water doors. So, I pulled on thick gloves, grabbed a towel, and went parrot hunting. I'd been warned of where she'd likely dash to, should she escape, but alas, she was not there. So I began searching. In closets, behind doors, on top of furniture, under tablecloths, everywhere I could think of. Many frantic moments later, I found her under the bed.
Great. I had been given a brief lesson in parrot-catching, but it involved the parrot escaping while I was watching, and therefore still being in the open. Fortunately for me, the parrot came out once I tucked up the bed skirt, inching slowly towards the towel. I got her to walk as far as the door before I threw the towel over her - and she escaped, the towel on the far side of her now. Fearful of losing a digit to her beak, I went back, grabbed a heavier towel, and tried again. Success! Gently holding my squawking burden, I hurried her back to her cage, set her in, grabbed the towel, and struggled to latch the door. How that bird got it open on her own is beyond me!
In the midst of my parrot-hunt, I stumbled across a scorpion on the bathroom floor. After my initial fright, bounce, and shriek, I realized it was dead and closed the door, intending to take care of it after I caught the bird.
Upon my return, I opened the door and it waved it's little pincers in the air at me and started charging. Flinging the door shut, I raced around in search now of a big, heavy shoe. Triumphant, I returned and flattened the wee beastie into extinction. Victorious, I proudly took a picture of my kill.
That is what kind of day it has been.
"... it waved it's little pincers in the air at me and started charging."
ReplyDeleteThat would FREAK ME OUT! :)
I'm so proud. :')
ReplyDelete