Frustration

Migwe, my canary, is looking pretty fine in his new coat of feathers but I am sick and tired of sweeping up feathers.  This molting thing is for the birds!  The wing feathers and tail feathers aren't so bad because they are heavy enough to stay where I put them.  It's those downy under feathers that keep escaping.  I try to sweep them with a broom and the feathers scatter away as the broom approaches.  I pin some downy feathers under the broom bristles and carry them out the deck door.  As I let them go free, some feathers rise in the air and go back into the house ahead of me.  I go back in and trap more between the broom and the dustpan.  I set them free on the deck railing. Some rise into the air on invisible air currents and soar into the basswood tree or up and over the roof.  I am glad molting only happens twice a year because cleaning up feathers is frustrating.