This gift is for the birds

When we additional finches to our household, we begun with one particular cage on a table. As time went on and the birds doubled, we finished up with two cages in two distinctive rooms—one on a card table and one particular on two chairs pushed collectively.

It was not great, but “ideal” was not definitely what we ended up striving for in the course of the previous yr. It was perfectly high-quality. However, as the man or woman who feeds our birds and cleans the cages, I dreamed of the working day when I may be capable to have the birds in 1 quickly obtainable spot.

I searched for cabinets that may well keep the cages, but almost nothing appeared sturdy and strong adequate. And absolutely nothing was the correct dimensions.

I could only imagine of a person option. I requested my father whether or not he would be inclined to establish a stand for the cages.

My father is the son of a cabinetmaker, and he is rather a craftsman himself. He has produced a massive wood truck-shaped toy box for every set of grandchildren. He developed and produced bunkbeds for my sister’s twin boys, who just (inexplicably and without asking my authorization) turned 4. He has designed a bench and a table and even a fire engine he hid from us in basic sight one Arrival and stunned us with on Christmas morning.

And he’s in all probability crafted dozens of other products that I just occur to be forgetting ideal now.

If anyone could construct the birdcage stand of all birdcage stands, it would be my father.

He took measurements and intended the composition, retaining in brain that the stand had to be sound and potent, but it also essential to be open to permit airflow for the birds. I did not have grand anticipations as considerably as how stylish the stand would be—but my father experienced a eyesight. He made a decision to go to a sawmill in Kingsville, the place he acquired a lovely slab of ash. He requested a mate to plane the wooden for him. Then he set to perform.

Now and then we would get fascinating textual content updates about the progress he was building. Following weeks of perform, he introduced that he was finished. Our stand was all set! John went to decide on it up and provide it house, in which he additional a coat of polyurethane, and then we place the cages in location. It’s an totally attractive addition to our living room, and I smile every time I glance at it.

The birds—who commonly never like alter of any type, even when it is for the better—immediately seemed at residence. And I have the easiest time feeding and cleansing them since the stand is fantastically open and available.

Ideal of all, of training course, is that the stand was produced just for us—or our finches—by my father. It was installed in our home in time for the Feast of St. Francis when our young son sprayed the finches with holy drinking water although I browse a blessing. The finches really like water—even when it’s not holy. They chirped and danced about their cages on their gorgeous new stand.

This gift is for the birds—and I completely appreciate it.

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