Birdwatching in the Sunflower Garden

Early this morning, I watched as a flock of yellow finches descended on my sunflowers to feast.  It was a beautiful sight. Not so pretty after they finished, but that’s what the sunflowers are for–the birds, the insects, and for all of us to enjoy.

Before I visited the garden, I stopped by my library to grab the book, “Help, I’m Laughing and I Can’t Get Up” by Liz Curtis Higgs. The story I turned to is titled “Fly Away Home.” It’s such an entertaining story. I thought you might enjoy reading it if you haven’t or if, like me, you have, hope you enjoy it again! It always makes me laugh!

Linda related an incident from the years when she and her air force hubby were stationed in California. She was cleaning house one day while their bird was singing away in his cage. Efficient woman that she was, Linda thought, I have my sweeper out, why not tidy up the birdcage?

“The vacuum proved to be too much for the little bird to resist, and in seconds he was suctioned over to the bars of the cage. Linda quickly turned off the vacuum, but it was too late. The bird jumped on his perch, chirped once, and dropped to the bottom of the cage.

“The life had literally been sucked out of him, poor thing.

“Bye-bye birdie.

“Linda panicked and ran to the phone, called the air force base, and told them it was an emergency and get her jet-engine technician husband off the flight pad, a major no-no in the military. Her husband ran to the phone, scared to death until she told him what had happened.

“As upset as he was about the dead bird, he was more upset about what he was going to tell his commanding officer, who would demand to know what emergency was important enough to call him off the flight pad.

“Linda’s husband is a clever and resourceful man. He told his CO that his wife was upset because her “Aunt Birdy” had died.

“Then the unexpected happened. Flowers and sympathy cards began arriving from their friends on the base. People started asking questions about funeral arrangements for poor Aunt birdy. Linda and her husband were mortified, but couldn’t retract their story or he’d get in serious trouble.

“(I imagine that, in lieu of flowers, the family of the deceased requested donations be made to the Audubon Society.)”

From “Help! I’m Laughing and I Can’t Get Up” by Liz Curtis Higgs, 1998

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