You cats are no help at all!

I can't see the bird, but I can hear it. I think it's in the front of the house, possibly in the ceiling above the bedroom on the street side. (There's still a gaping hole in the ceiling from the work done to install air conditioning, and I have yet to find a person to come patch the hole because finding a person to work on your house is a real challenge in this town.)

Anyway, I thought the best course of action would be to have a conversation with the cats about the intruder. It went something like this:

"Why, hello Miss Marilyn Maineroe, you're looking especially... um.... bloodthirsty today." SQUAWK "How would you like to go and kill that bird for me? Hmmm? What say?"

Silence.

OK, I'll try the other one.

"Amelia, you gorgeous predator, how about killing a bird? Flying food! Put those beautiful claws to use, girl, there's a bird that needs killing!"

Amelia just rolled over and looked at me, so I went off to find Hecate. She was perched on the back of the couch napping, just as she had been all day. I should have asked her first, at least I know she has bird-killing experience.

"Hecate, my friend, this is your lucky day." SQUAWK SQUAAAAAAWK "Go and get that bird. You can have it all to yourself." SQUAWK "Please?"

She showed no interest in moving, much less making the effort to hunt down and kill the intruder. I think she was even the one who left the back door open, which must be how that damned bird gained access. (No, I do not really expect Hecate to shut the door behind her when she nudges it open to get in from the porch, but it would be nice if she'd come in when I try to get her to come in so I could shut it.)

I don't exactly relish the idea of being here while the cats take care of the bird, so I guess I could go to a movie and hope they do their job. Or I could seal up the hole quick like a bunny and hope the bird, um, departs this life quietly, or I can just wait for it to come down and try to chase it out a window.

One way or another I'm going to get that bird.

before - after