Flying Lion: January 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

We had an unexpected guest last Friday evening. Somehow a bird managed to make his way into the apartment from behind the stove. At first we thought it was a mouse and were all ready to catch and release the little critter. We blockaded the kitchen, cleared everything out, and armed ourselves with a broom and cake carrier to trap the beast. HOWEVER, as soon as I lifted up the top of the stove (with a pot holder and my trusty tongs, safety first) something black shot out like a missile.

After lots of running around, shrieking, and foul language we finally got it together, locked the cat in the bathroom, and opened all the doors and windows. I should mention that on Friday it was snowing heavily and about 20 degrees outside. Brrr.

In the end, the cake carrier and broom capture method failed miserably. The poor bird was freaking out, we were freaking out, and Julius was furious he missed all the action. The bird eventually realized the windows were open and showed himself out. As you can see in the photo above, our apartment was a wreck with books, papers, chairs, and the coffee table thrown everywhere. And no, we don't have two cats, I'm just trying to use the panorama function on my phone. Thankfully, nothing broke and we've put it all back together. I can also say that our entire stove has never been as clean as it is now. Thanks to the bird, we've also learned how to repair and rewire an electronic stove ignition. Whew.

PS For the naturalists out there, I identified the bird as a starling.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Freezing!

It's our third day of bitter cold out here on the East Coast. My 2 mile walk to work felt like an urban adaptation of Last of the Breed. Even the river is frozen!