One Man’s Visitor Caused Quite A Flap

Herb Cheeley, a Coeur d’Alene retiree, wrote the following story about his 1987 visitor in response to my request for animal tales. He wants you to guess what type of animal he adopted.

I didn’t know what to do when I first held her. She didn’t fidget or cry out, but she was frightened. I put her on the ground where the dogs had found her injured. She was still there the next morning, so I took her home.

She was a baby and would be safe in my utility trailer. I found out quickly she loved canned dog food. Later, I learned that scrambled eggs were her favorite.

I named her Sadie. The neighbor kids came over often to see her. After a few days I moved her into my spare dog kennel. Sadie loved my three dogs, but they just tolerated her. I couldn’t believe they didn’t kill her.

When they “played” a little rough, Sadie would flop on her back and stick her feet in the air. She would even jump on their backs.

Two weeks into her stay, I set her free. She left every evening, but returned every morning just after sunrise. She would stay with me all day.

I made a special entrance into the house for Sadie. She’d come in wanting to play with the dogs. They’d usually hide.

She would get on my shoulder and jump onto my head. I don’t have much protection up there and she often bit me until I bled.

Sadie had a tremendous scream. She screamed so loudly once when our neighbor walked into the yard, I feared the dogs had tried to kill her. But she was just telling the neighbor to stay out of “Sadie’s yard.”

Our favorite time was late evening just before she left for the night. Sadie would get on my shoulder and I would stroke the back of her head. She would stay as long as I would let her. After a few minutes I would tell her we were through and she would leave for the night.

One day Sadie didn’t come back. I knew she had left for good. Three weeks later, a large flock of crows flew over the house and one, Sadie, came down to me. The rest (about 10) landed in our big pine tree and screamed at Sadie. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Sadie stayed with me another week, then migrated.

I wished Sadie would return the next summer. She didn’t.

Lost baby

Greg and Annelli Miller returned to an empty home after a Sunday boat ride on Fernan Lake. Their 3-year-old, Iggy, had burrowed through two screens to escape her upstairs bedroom.

Iggy the iguana had no reason to run. The Millers hand-feed her and bathe her twice a day. Annelli lets Iggy sleep on her chest and walks her on a leash.

Iggy is 3 feet long - 2 feet of that is tail - and weighs 5 pounds. She’s gentle and likes baked beans with her greens. She lets people pick her up if they don’t rush at her.

The Millers live on Woolsey and Ninth and are heartbroken over their loss. Call 664-0331 if you find her.

Affordable housing

Some folks may not want small homes, but the birds do. The Alzheimer’s Association wants flocks of birdhouses from amateur as well as professional carpenters.

The houses are worth prizes to the builders and money to the association. The group plans to sell them and use the money to teach people about Alzheimer’s disease. Entries are due June 15. Call 762-3035 for details.

No more school

My senior class was so big - 1,100 students - that we walked in fours for the graduation processional. Throughout the ceremony, teachers tried to pinpoint the sources of suspicious smoke hanging over the graduates. But there were just too many smiling students…

What made your high school graduation memorable? Write to “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 83814; FAX them to 765-7149; or call 765-7128.

, DataTimes