I'm not someone with a lot of fears and phobias

Spiders? fine, water? fine, small spaces? fine, heights? fine...

That is unless I'm stoned in which case being up somewhere high turns me into a jibbering wreck.

And so it came to pass that I was at a party helping to set up in the afternoon, it was a beautiful summers day and the approriate beverages were drunk and green leaves smoked.

After a couple of rounds of biftas I was suitably toasted and wandered around the back of the beautiful old red brick barn towards the loos.

On my way back somethoing at the bottom of the wall of the barn caught my eye. It was justa slight movement, but there was definately something there.

I bimbled over for a closer look and there amongst the genreral dtritus on the florr was an owlet!

It was about the size of a tennis ball and was completely round with only a tiny beak, two clawing feeta and shiney black eyes peeking out from it's fluff.

A quick reconnoitre around the area and I found it's nest, 30 feet above my head uynder the eves of the barn, hooray I though and also shit, as it was a long way up and as previously mentioned I was a little the worse for wear.

Eventually a ladder was produced and as I was the only bloike there it was decieded that I should replace the little might in his nest.

I slowly ascended the ladder with the owlet held in some rags we had found to try and hide my smell.

Never has the phrase don't look down been so poorly heeded, half way up I turned my eyes to the earth. It. Was. Miles. Away!

I began to freeze up, clinging to the rickerty old wooden ladder with one had and balancing the scwaking owlet with the other. It took a few deep breaths but I kept going.

Eventually I made it to the top and reqalised that I was several feet short of my goal, there was only one thing for it.

With my friends holding the bottom of the ladder I cautiously stepped onto the very top rung, my body falttened against the brick work, sweat pouring from my drug addled forehead.

I reached up towards the nest, but the owlet just would hop into it. i took a gamble and with the grace of an NBA all star I gently "shot for the basket".

The owlet, arced through the air, his first taste of the majesty of flight, and landed plumb in the nest!

I was so relieved that I almost fell off, I just hope that he wasn't trying to escape being eaten by one of his siblings like that evil owl from Spring watch...
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Tue 11 Nov 2008, 12:50, 5 replies)

I'm not too good with heights
Especially ladders. I was finding it hard to breathe reading your story - heart rate just about normal again now.

And that's the second story I've read today about owls - I want to find an owl
( snee held his breath since, Tue 11 Nov 2008, 13:02, closed)

ACE!
Well done, you're a hero too! Goddamn, though was it a wooden ladder? (sweats) don't trust them at all. Well done.
(ice9, Tue 11 Nov 2008, 15:06, closed)

Yay!
What a star :)
( Mike Fishcake teamfishcake.co.uk - better than your mum's face, Tue 11 Nov 2008, 15:10, closed)

Well done (only slightly patronising, I'm sure)....
Although I did expect the little owlet to arc gracefully though the air, his nest flashing agonisingly close to his face as he misses it before plummeting to the floor below.

I think b3ta has twisted my expectations somewhat.
( Moey, Tue 11 Nov 2008, 16:11, closed)

Oh good.
It's not just me then.
(thereisnopoons until, Tue 11 Nov 2008, 20:22, closed)