August 21, 2003

• For the past few nights, I was awakened by a strange sound.
  
  It sounded like someone was doing my dishes, or like someone was rearranging my kitchen cabinets, or maybe someone was replacing my kitchen window, in tiny increments, in all cases being extremely careful not to let me hear.
  
  I’ve had the experience of hearing noises that seemed to be inside the house, only to discover that they’re outside, and merely reflecting off the open windows. The windows in this house swing open like doors, on a crank system.
  
  So I went about assuming that this was a sound coming from outside. I get a lot of crows and Stellar’s jays in my yard, and surely it was a bird doing something that sounded like moving stuff around in my kitchen. What other explanation was there?
  
  Yesterday I woke to the same noise, but it was louder, more insistent. I went out to the front room and sat still and listened. There it was again… Coming from the garage! Open the door to the garage, sit still again and listen. The chimney! A bird in the chimney!
  
  
  
  The picture isn’t very clear, but that lump on the left side is a bird. Looks to be a dove, and it’s pretty well beat up from flapping around in my chimney.
  
  First, I opened everything that could be opened.. Flue, screens, the picture window leading to the backyard. Second, a container of water on the hearth. That bird’s no doubt thirsty, and if it finds its way to the water, it’ll find its way outside. Then I went to the back to the house, to the office and the computer, and went about my business.
  
  Fifteen or so minutes later, I hear a faint thwoosh. Checking the water; some tiny downy feathers floating on the top. Checking the chimney…
  
  

  • 2:50 pm
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