June 08, 2004~~8:53 p.m.
Our Feathery Friend, Phyllis
I would like to take the time to welcome Phyllis to the Ring of Fire. Let�s all say it together; one, two three�.�WELCOME, PHYLLIS!� Phyllis is our new �pet� bird. She arrived sometime over Memorial Day weekend, made a nest in my outside window box (which, I might add has bloomed some really lovely Nasturtium thanks to my newfound green thumb) and promptly laid an egg. We introduced ourselves in a rather non-traditional fashion. I burst out upon our back porch after arriving home from the long weekend and Phyllis, in obvious and understandable reply hastily flew her �coop.� I literally scared the feathers out of her, and she, figuratively, me. It was then that I discovered her nest and egg. What could I do but let her stay? She had already moved in, put the furniture where she so pleased and turned on the electricity. Who was I to evict her? I was actually half-worried that she would not return after I scared her so, but the next morning, there she was. Sitting pretty on her egg. Phyllis and I got down to the nitty-gritty of getting to know each other slowly. I knew I had to water my plants somehow, and I went about it gingerly. At first, I simply left the sliding glass door to the porch open so she could get to know my voice and Elizabeth. Then, later, I ventured very slowly out to the porch with my makeshift watering can. I watered all the plants except hers. I knew I would have to wait until she went foraging for food to water her apartment. Soon, though, she must�ve had a pre-natal craving for worms (which I can completely understand, beings I�m a mom and all) because she was gone for a few minutes that evening when I was able to water. It was awhile before I could water again, and the situation presented itself only after my second hummingbird feeder in two days snapped in two, spilling nectar all over my porch. It scared Phyllis when I climbed up to salvage the remains of my new feeder and I got my second chance to water, then. I also got another look at the nest, and lo, there was another egg. Phyllis had been busy. And so it goes. I check on Phyllis daily, say hello each morning over a cup of coffee and hope her pregnancy goes smoothly. Evidently, she isn�t going to find out the sexes of her twins before they hatch, so it will be a surprise all around. I�ll keep you all in the know with what happens but in the meantime, good luck Phyllis and Godspeed.
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