Bird Watching

Mama Bird busily fluttered about her new home, adjusting a twig here, a string there.

"Hi, dearest, I'm home!" Papa Bird called, fluttering in for a landing. Mama hopped over, looking at the peculiar pale bundle he dropped at his feet.

"What in the world is that? I sent you out for more downfeathers!"

"This is ten times better than downfeathers, dear!" he said, puffing with pride as she investigated. "It's..."

"Dog hair," she announced flatly.

"No, it's wolf hair! Real, genuine wolf hair! All our neighbors will be jealous! Their chicks will be shivering in plain old downfeathers, while ours will be nice and cozy in wolf hair!"

"Honey," Mama said patiently,"this is dog hair. It looks like dog hair. It smells like dog hair. It's dog hair."

"No, no, no!" Papa insisted. "That's what I thought, too! But it's wolf hair, I swear!"

"It's white. Wolves are gray."

"It's albino wolf hair."

"There haven't been wolves here for ages."

"I said it was rare!"

"This didn't come from that back yard, did it? The one with the big, howling, white dog?"

"Well, maybe... but it's wolf hair! That nice starling who sold it to me said it was!"

"Honey..." She paused, then forced herself to ask. "How much did you pay?"

"Er..."

"Honey?"

"Um..."

"Honey..."

"It was a bargain! Real, genuine, albino wolf hair!"

"..."

"Dearest? Sweetie?"

"..."

- + -

The above was inspired by watching a chestnut-backed chickadee on the back porch today, busily scooping up a heaping beakful of shed Shilo hair from the mat before flying off for parts unknown. I didn't notice if he returned for more or not...

I never promised to post interesting blog entries...