10/15/09 Phoebe nest, recycledYou know, I'm as surprised as you are that I had a phoebe nest. But, really, it's rather impressive. This was hand -- er, beak -- crafted several years ago by some of the finest artisans to ever grace our eaves. Not only did I preserve it in a fine, aluminum cookie tin, I even labeled it. Wow, I'm good at storage.
Before anyone starts to think it was foolish for me to store a next for three years, let's place the blame squarely where it belongs: my friend Chris. Ten years ago, Chris decided that the two of us should write a children's book together. It would center around a phoebe and a mouse, in a zany adventure on the Appalachian Trail. A can't miss project, right?
The problem is, we're ten years down the road and not quite finished... with the outline. We don't like to rush our work.
Naturally, when some phoebes built a nest on our porch, I took it as Divine Inspiration, and salvaged the nest after they moved on. I then put it in a nicely labeled tin, put it up on a shelf in the basement, and forgot about it.
So much for inspiration.
The good news is that the phoebes keep coming back. This year's nest is still clinging to the side of the house, so if I feel in need of another one, I know where to find it.
Plus, recycling the nest was delightfully eco-friendly. I just tossed it into the woods.
Chris, I got nothin' on this end. Write that book, will ya?
While I know your downsizing project may already have crept onto your hard drive, may I suggest you look for a file titled "The Book: Phone Meeting, 1.13.08 Reed's Minutes"? Just in case you can't find it, I will be happy to forward you the copy you forwarded me.
ReplyDeleteAt the bottom of the page, a section titled "Reed's action plan" and several bullet points, the last of which is, and again I quote:
"Create draft by July"
People who live in glass houses should get dressed in the basement.
Hey, I fully admit I'm not holding up my end of the bargain. All I'm saying is that it's pretty clear which one of us is the artist, and which one is the hack. Since we know this isn't a 50/50 deal from the start, I'm just encourging you to take the ideas and run with them...
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