A Stampede for Crumbs

A dry croissant flake fluttered across the counter, and two tiny brown sparrows swooped down onto the cedar planks, kicking up a storm of dust right toward my perching zone. Naturally, a neighborhood guardian doesn't abandon his post to feathered heavyweights. Since I still don't shoot actual webs from my wrists, I scrambled behind a heavy stainless steel napkin dispenser for cover, grabbed an unbent wire staple from the wood grain, and aimed it like a mini hurdle. With a quick running hop, I kicked an empty paper cup over so it rolled directly between them with a hollow rattle. The birds flapped back in surprise, letting me secure the crumb zone and hold the perimeter.