The Feather

I charged straight toward a brilliant blue jay feather wedged upright between two patio flagstones! *Chuff!* Its stiff black quill was stuck firm in the mossy groove, swaying like a tall sapphire mast. I lunged in and swiped it with a front claw—*twang!* The springy shaft snapped right back, flicking a pinch of dry moss across my snout! Not backing down, I flared my wings wide, clamped both front paws around the quill, and gave a fierce backward yank. *Pop!* Free at last, the iridescent vane settled across the stones. I dragged it over and jammed the tip into an empty terracotta pot's drainage hole. *Hff!* A proud blue banner claiming the patio!