about birds in the chimney

 I mentioned in my blog yesterday that my late husband was a tenderhearted person (re the baby mice) and it was true.  Consider his invention of a bird elevator.  When we lived in that lovely rural area of southeastern Ohio we had a bird problem.  There were lots of starlings that lived in our area, nesting in the trees and generally minding their own birdy business except for one thing.  They seemed fascinated by the chimney of our fireplace.  We covered the opening with tight mesh and every other thing we could think of, but, from time to time, one of the birds would find an opening and fall down our chimney.  And here was the problem.  They couldn't fly back up because the chimney was too narrow. If we opened the damper the bird would fly into the family room or be trapped behind the screen.  If we didn't let it out it would die and get really smelly.  So my husband came up with an ingenious device.  by twisting two wire coat hangers together and attaching a heavy cord he created a birdy elevator.  By standing on the one story roof over the family room, accessed by crawling out a window from our second floor bedroom, he could remove the mesh, lower the elevator down the chimney and wait.  I guess those birds were actually clever in their own way because very soon the trapped one would grab the wire of the hanger, allow itself to be pulled upside down out of the chimney, and as quick as it saw daylight, fly off to freedom.  It was actually, usually very gratifying.  Until one chilly morning when I heard a bird fluttering in the chimney, just after I had sent my children out to wait for the school bus and long after my husband had left for work.  Realizing it was up to me, I tied my bathrobe a little tighter, climbed out onto the roof carrying the birdy elevator and assumed my position at the chimney. Concentrating on getting the contraption down the chimney, I didn't realize that the bus had not only arrived, but was lingering longer than usual so that everyone could get a good look at the crazy lady on the roof.  Of course the bird didn't get the idea and catch on until the bus was long gone so they didn't get to see the happy ending.  My children did, eventually, forgive me for their embarrassment.