This story is very overdue, but I am going to share it anyway.
I have a huge birdfeeder on my balcony, it is shaped and painted like a parrot. A couple months ago we got a huge dump of snow, the news said we got 2.5 feet of snow. Just like in the good fashion that Nova Scotia has, it started to melt within the next day or so.
As you can imagine there was a lot of snow melting fast, well I have some awesome pigeons who love to eat from the bird feeder. As he was standing on the balcony edge bringing up his courage to jump and eat from the feeder, as HUGE and I mean HUGE chunk of snow came off the roof and took out the bird, it completely disappeared from view, and I was sure it was dead. In my head thinking ok I will get a garbage bag when I go out next and clean it up, just as I was thinking this the bird flew the depths of the earth to the farthest side of the balcony and stood there stunned, it didn’t move, it didn’t blink it just stood there, I could almost mind read its thoughts and I’m sure it went like this “What the heck just happened, all I wanted was to get some food, enjoy all the yummy seeds and contemplate about my day, I wanted to be a bully to the other birds, fill my tummy and then go on my merry way, but NOOOO the earth decided that today it was going to try to send me to the afterlife, well I showed it! Unsuccessful, however now do I move, or do I pretend I’m a statue, if I do the earth might try again.”
As I am sitting in my chair trying my best to control my laughter, very badly succeeding the bird slowly takes a step toward the middle of the balcony, what makes it even more funnier is that pigeons can’t see unless their head is not moving, so he very cautiously and nervously sticks his head out as far as he can and then his little legs move super fast to catch up to his head, once he took that step he turns and goes back to the corner, after another few seconds he takes two steps then turns back, this is going on for about 4 minutes, he is really trying to build up the courage all the while I am crying from laughing watching this unfold. He finally makes it to the center and looks to the feeder when another chunk of snow falls. He is ready this time and he takes off before it hits him and then lands back on the corner of the balcony again.
Standing there looking at the feeder he must have done some amazing self talk, I am sure it went something like this “Ok I can do this, all I have to do is get the three feet and then fly up to the feeder, I am strong, I am mighty, I am brave, I can overcome this feet!” Then he starts running (yes runs, I didn’t realize they ran) his head shoots out as far as it can then his little feet run to catch up, he is moving in the most dramatic and exaggerated movement I am sure he can make, finally making it to the centre of the balcony and flies to the feeder. For the rest of the day, he is jumpy and flies off the balcony at every little sound or movement he sees or hears.
I am crying laughing, sitting there being so happy I get to witness this whole situation unfold.