Wednesday, September 19, 2001
Today Patrick said he heard a noise in the chimney for several minutes and he wasn't sure what it was. After a while, he realized from the sounds (flapping) that it must have been a wayward bird. I told him to investigate it by looking up the chimney with our big lightgun that I keep in the car, so he did. He approached the fireplace, peered under the edge of the opening, and found the bird inches away from his face looking right at him (!). He hadn't expected it to be so close inside, so he screamed, which startled the bird: flap flap flap. He called Animal Care and Control of the city and county of San Francisco who gave him suggestions but told him that they would not be able to come help us. Then he called Marcia, who said that in the past she would open windows and let it fly out through the house. So Patrick opened the windows, then got a towel and managed to wrap the bird in it enough to prompt it to do exactly as Marcia said. A thick layer of soot was left behind on the fireplace floor, and fortunately none of it got on the rug, hardwood floor, or furniture. Dinner at home: orechietti con verdure (with broccoli, zucchini, and portobello mushrooms).