14 Jan 2024, 01:45
Shawls for Ravens
https://i.imgur.com/4ZFFB2W.gif
Having grown up in a tropical climate, Sunny had become concerned with all of the winter snow, the runny noses, the general shuffling about, and the cold of the season. He worried that the birds might get a cold, too, and do whatever birds did that was the equivalent of a red runny or stopped up nose, miserable exterior, and huddling under jackets and blankets.
Using the lost and found, Sunny constructed a square piece of fabric by way of scissors. He was surprised how fast this went and how, somehow, there wasn't really room to cut out another one because he'd made it right in the center of the forgotten button shirt. He racked his head trying to think of ways to make it better but couldn't. He consulted a bandanna in the lost and found and decided the bandanna was better than his awful construction. He cut what squares he could out of the shirt and took the newly cut four bandanas plus one actual bandana, up to the rookery. Birdery. Er, owlry.
Once there, he held one of his square fabrics up to an owl. The bird blinked at him sleepily, and probably wished Sunny would go away. Sunny realized that this repurposed shirt bandana was too small to wrap around a whole owl. He tried to walk slowly to a very small owl but it got skittish and flapped noisly to the other end of the tower, disturbing a different owl, that half-heartedly pecked in his direction for the interrupted nap.
"Sorry, sorry," Sunny apologized profusely. He held the fabric up to his neck and mimed wrapping it around. One owl stared at him quizzically as if this were a magic trick, but the other owls turned their backs, as if saying 'yes yes we've known all along about you humans and your clothings and we birds don't want anything to do with it'. "See, it's for your neck, er, body, er, to keep you warm.", he tried to explain.
Sunny realized that his 30 seconds of thought, 2 seconds of planning, and 30 seconds of execution had not made for a good plan and these owls didn't seem interested. Were there other birds that might be interested. Maybe a pet bird? Or someone's raven or crow? Yes, they would be small enough that these bandanas would be a veritable and enviable shawl that could help keep them warm.
Having grown up in a tropical climate, Sunny had become concerned with all of the winter snow, the runny noses, the general shuffling about, and the cold of the season. He worried that the birds might get a cold, too, and do whatever birds did that was the equivalent of a red runny or stopped up nose, miserable exterior, and huddling under jackets and blankets.
Using the lost and found, Sunny constructed a square piece of fabric by way of scissors. He was surprised how fast this went and how, somehow, there wasn't really room to cut out another one because he'd made it right in the center of the forgotten button shirt. He racked his head trying to think of ways to make it better but couldn't. He consulted a bandanna in the lost and found and decided the bandanna was better than his awful construction. He cut what squares he could out of the shirt and took the newly cut four bandanas plus one actual bandana, up to the rookery. Birdery. Er, owlry.
Once there, he held one of his square fabrics up to an owl. The bird blinked at him sleepily, and probably wished Sunny would go away. Sunny realized that this repurposed shirt bandana was too small to wrap around a whole owl. He tried to walk slowly to a very small owl but it got skittish and flapped noisly to the other end of the tower, disturbing a different owl, that half-heartedly pecked in his direction for the interrupted nap.
"Sorry, sorry," Sunny apologized profusely. He held the fabric up to his neck and mimed wrapping it around. One owl stared at him quizzically as if this were a magic trick, but the other owls turned their backs, as if saying 'yes yes we've known all along about you humans and your clothings and we birds don't want anything to do with it'. "See, it's for your neck, er, body, er, to keep you warm.", he tried to explain.
Sunny realized that his 30 seconds of thought, 2 seconds of planning, and 30 seconds of execution had not made for a good plan and these owls didn't seem interested. Were there other birds that might be interested. Maybe a pet bird? Or someone's raven or crow? Yes, they would be small enough that these bandanas would be a veritable and enviable shawl that could help keep them warm.
5 Mar 2024, 16:02
Shawls for Ravens
Felix was glad of his hiking experience (and the fact that his home was mostly stairs) as he climbed the west tower. Some people may have had trouble getting up all these stairs. The winter sky, where he could see it through the windows, was bright and solid white-grey. This was the weather that he hated. Though he had grown up in Scotland, where it was pretty chilly during wintertime, he hated having to bundle up in coats and snow pants. It took so long and made it hard to walk. Plus, winter boots are the absolute worst.
His chickens also got extremely congested and droopy when it got cold. Especially Mayday, the oldish hen who already had watery eyes, and Fern, a rooster with a pretty weak immune system. Felix had often snuck them into the garage to warm them all up. To his credit, he only got caught once.
If he missed anything from home, it was his chickens. He had brought his books, camera and an extra flash card, but, obviously, he couldn't bring chickens.
There was a movement at the corner of his eye. He assumed it was an owl, because he was in the bird tower- owlery or whatever it's called. Felix still turns around to look. It is definitely not an owl. It's a raven. The poor bird is bedraggled and shivering. He walks up to the black-feathered bird, fishing a nickel out of his pocket and holding it out to the raven. He's done this before. The action wins their trust, and he needs the raven's trust so that he can get close to it. He's not wearing his jacket anyway, instead layered up in a shirt and hoodie, wearing his coat around his waist. Felix unties his coat and slowly moves towards the bird, still holding the coin. Felix lays down the coat and places the nickel down on it. The raven hops forward slightly, and he gives it space. Eventually, the bird is on the coat, inspecting the shiny coin, and he moves forward, quickly wrapping the jacket around the raven. The raven flinches a little, but is soon huddled in the warmth of the jacket. The raven looks more like a ragged, sopping wet t-shirt than a living creature. His jacket wouldn't do much, because it was barely made for spring, but it would do something.
Suddenly, Felix sees another boy. He seems to be... offering a bandana to an owl? Maybe he's trying to help keep them warm?
Honestly, he can't judge, because he's the kind of person to do that as well.
He eases his arms around the raven, who is still bundled in his jacket, and lifts it up. The bird is so thin that it barely weighs anything, and doesn't protest or wriggle around. Felix approaches the boy with the bandanas, hoping he could get one for this raven. They didn't look like they'd fit the owls very well, but he could possibly get one for a raven.
"Hi" he says when he gets closer. He's pretty sure the boy's name is Sunny or something like that, and he's a second year, but Felix also isn't sure if 'sunny' is a nickname, and doesn't want to accidentally call someone by a name only their friends use.
His chickens also got extremely congested and droopy when it got cold. Especially Mayday, the oldish hen who already had watery eyes, and Fern, a rooster with a pretty weak immune system. Felix had often snuck them into the garage to warm them all up. To his credit, he only got caught once.
If he missed anything from home, it was his chickens. He had brought his books, camera and an extra flash card, but, obviously, he couldn't bring chickens.
There was a movement at the corner of his eye. He assumed it was an owl, because he was in the bird tower- owlery or whatever it's called. Felix still turns around to look. It is definitely not an owl. It's a raven. The poor bird is bedraggled and shivering. He walks up to the black-feathered bird, fishing a nickel out of his pocket and holding it out to the raven. He's done this before. The action wins their trust, and he needs the raven's trust so that he can get close to it. He's not wearing his jacket anyway, instead layered up in a shirt and hoodie, wearing his coat around his waist. Felix unties his coat and slowly moves towards the bird, still holding the coin. Felix lays down the coat and places the nickel down on it. The raven hops forward slightly, and he gives it space. Eventually, the bird is on the coat, inspecting the shiny coin, and he moves forward, quickly wrapping the jacket around the raven. The raven flinches a little, but is soon huddled in the warmth of the jacket. The raven looks more like a ragged, sopping wet t-shirt than a living creature. His jacket wouldn't do much, because it was barely made for spring, but it would do something.
Suddenly, Felix sees another boy. He seems to be... offering a bandana to an owl? Maybe he's trying to help keep them warm?
Honestly, he can't judge, because he's the kind of person to do that as well.
He eases his arms around the raven, who is still bundled in his jacket, and lifts it up. The bird is so thin that it barely weighs anything, and doesn't protest or wriggle around. Felix approaches the boy with the bandanas, hoping he could get one for this raven. They didn't look like they'd fit the owls very well, but he could possibly get one for a raven.
"Hi" he says when he gets closer. He's pretty sure the boy's name is Sunny or something like that, and he's a second year, but Felix also isn't sure if 'sunny' is a nickname, and doesn't want to accidentally call someone by a name only their friends use.
"How do you document real life, when real life's getting more like fiction each day?" - Mark Cohen, Rent