Major Tom to Ground Control!

Someone posted something on my FaceBook page today that reminded me of this. Two days ago I was out re-arranging items in the aviary. Hanging new toys

here, changing perch placement over there, etc. Anything that hangs from the netting I have hanging from ceiling protectors. (you can see a ceiling protector in the upper left hand corner of the photo to the right) It helps prevent tempted beaks from chewing quick links so close to the netting.

Anyway, I was at the very top step of my 3-step, step-ladder. I’m trying to keep my balance which is hard for me to do anyway. I have to look up to see where the netting is. “I can reach it if I stand on my tippy toes” I thought. I had to hurry and glance back down at my feet on the step ladder because I was loosing my balance already. I glanced up one more time to locate the spot I wanted. Quickly glanced down, glanced back up and went for it. Tippy-toes, tippy-toes, reach, reach, almost there and then THUMP! It scared the jeebers out of me in such concentration. I stood there on my tippy-toes staring into the sun reaching for the netting trying to figure out what in the heck just hit my head. It didn’t take long before I realized it was one of those flying, white-feathered, aviary blood suckers. I use the term ‘blood sucker’ in reference to being a leech, as in always wanting to be on me.

So as I stand there teetering on my ladder with a waft of hair now in my eyes as a result of the incoming white-feathered blood sucker’s perfect timing in perching on my head. I can feel the netting at the tip of my fingers so I jump a little and snag it. As I snag it, the impact from the blood sucker perched on my head has pushed me just enough off kilter that an image comes to mind. An image of a little kid leaning against the leaning tower of Pisa smiling for the camera. “I’ve got the netting!” I thought as I feel the step-ladder starting to move in the other direction. “Houston, we have a problem” I yelled. The ladder is going one direction, the netting in the other and I’m just the connector between the two with a white-feathered blood sucker on my head now yelling his funny clucks of “huh? huh? huh?”.

If I keep a hold of the netting my weight will start ripping it from the screws in the garage. I look down at my potential spot of landing catastrophe and begin singing “This is Major Tom to ground control!” I let go of the netting and the ladder went falling back the other direction. This would be a great opportunity to put some wings to use, but no, I crash to the ground. The blood sucker never moves, he’s fine, and probably enjoying the ride.

I land laughing so hard as I remember the neighbor is out watering his backyard and I just know he’s watching all of this. I land and grab that ball of feathers on the top of my head. I’m now on my knees in the back yard, laughing, and kissing the belly of the one that caused this morning’s welcomed ruckus. My neighbor quietly walks out of the back yard as I’m kneeling there with this ball of feathers in my hand looking up at me with feet up in the air. I laughed and asked him if we should work on training out that behavior. “Nah” I said as I stood and placed him back on my head, “What fun would that be?”.