a peek inside the fishbowl

09 May, 2020

The warbler

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life

There is no mistaking the sound of a bird colliding with a window. I didn’t see it happen, but apparently the bird was honing down on an insect and swooped this way instead of that. Mark and the girls flew out of their seats to see what happened.

The poor thing didn’t move a muscle and hardly blinked. Mark picked it up and made a nest with his hand. I stayed inside, content to let my family have this moment to themselves.

It rested there. It’s hard to know if it was frozen in fear or just stunned into silence. As I watched from my side of the window I realized I feel like that bird sometimes – dazed and confused. What day is it? Should I stay or go? What’s happening? What will happen next?

The vast wilderness beyond this safe space seems so big sometimes.

Fortunately it didn’t take long for the bird to regain his senses. He hopped out of Mark’s hand and perched on his finger to get his bearings; catch his breath. A bird is so tiny, practically weightless – a ball of feather and bone that is barely there, but it is. He returned to his world with a blink of eyes bright and focused, never to be seen again.


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  • Gretchen Humphrey: I had a beautiful bee& birdbath filled with a solar fountain and dozens of antique marbles that were suddenly disappearing. At first I thought my
  • Jinjer: I am sobbing reading this post. And you're right, companion is not enough. Little furry treasured gifts that they are. Thanks for sharing cutie-pi
  • Karen: Dear Andrea, Mark and your daughters I am so very sad for your family xxx Piper was/is my favourite Instagram post. You shared with us so intimately
  • Christina Banuelos: Thank you for sharing Pipers life with us. Your posts of Piper brought me joy. Every time I see your post and see what kind of mischief Piper was gett
  • Carla Slocum: I am sitting here yet again crying at your loss. We have known that loss with Asta the WFT our first pup but now have the enormous gift of Stryker the
  • Janelle Brown: Dear Andrea Thank you for sharing Piper’s story with her followers. I empathise with your grief and emptiness as I lost my 14 year old Westie last
  • Natasha McReynolds-Nicholl: My god reading this is heartbreaking. December 1st was the as you describe longest day of my life, we lost out beautiful WFT hazel. Pipers final momen

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Piper who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. We also have two human offspring: Emma (24) and Sarah (22). During the day I work as a writer at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

If you'd like to contact me, please use this form. If you're so inclined, you can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!

 


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