Ricky Wren Wich

I know I'm easily entertained - and so I will be brief. A very cute brown Wren built a nest this Spring inside my tool bag that is hanging outside my back door. Every time I'd walk out the door. she would fly off hurriedly and create some ruckus in the yard to distract me from her nest. I checked of course and she had four cute brown speckled eggs in there. Tex suggested that I put a little plate with a couple of small strips of bacon out near the nest to assure her who was really in charge. Within the week, the eggs hatched and the faintest little bird chirps now fill the breezeway by the back door.

Well yesterday - which was such a beautiful day here, I left my back door open nearly the whole day. My little Wren was racing all over the yard and in the trees and under the truck picking up bugs and flying them back to the nest. She'd never seen the door open that long before and so - in search of worms I'm sure - she flew inside. Poor thing was flying around the living room, the kitchen, the studio - like in a maze, unable to find her way back out. For an hour I chased her gently back and forth from room to room. She was finally so tired that she just jumped onto the top of my broom and hung out there. I walked so slowly it was nearly a crawl and I led her over the pool table, out into the foyer, under the surveillance sign and back onto the porch. Having rested on the broom top trek across the house, she gave one wink and flew off. 

I guess we got over the mutual respect dilemma for last night, she stood on the top of the tool bag - I looking at her from just inches away - and she just stood there, looking back at me. And so this morning - I shot a quick family portrait of her four kids - before they leave the roost and she then suffers from the empty nest syndrome.