All Up in Mah Grill

The weather is finally beginning to warm up a little - which signals that it's almost time to fire up the grill. I love nearly anything cooked outside, and eagerly anticipate the season when I can slap a juicy steak and some fresh asparagus on the ol' Char-Broil. In the words of the creepy Campbell's kids, "Mmm-mmm good."

But it looks like I won't be barbecuing anything for the next few weeks, unless it's bird - and I don't mean chicken. Because for the second year in a row, someone has constructed a nest inside our grill.

Here are some pics of last year's Char-Broil condo:




Don't they look cozy in there?

Curtis (the husband) tried his hardest to get me to dismantle the nest last year. He didn't want birds in the grill - and to top it off, they're starlings, which for some reason seem to rank down at the bottom of the list with, like, pigeons. But as much as I love a good barbecue, I couldn't help but sympathize with the birds. I mean, all they were trying to do was find a good home for their family. It's the goal of just about every living thing - Curtis and me included. And I have to admit, the grill is perfect: totally sheltered and impervious to wind, weather, and predators. Who was I to oust them from it? They just wanted a chance.

This year, they've done the same thing. Right now there's a tidy little nest built on the lower rack. I suspect it might be the same chicks that were hatched there last year, all grown up and ready to start their own birdie brood - or at least that's what I like to think. Anyway, poor Curtis hasn't even tried to convince me to evict the new tenants this year. He knows there's no use. And because he's a total sweetheart, he bought and installed this for me yesterday:

Every good hotel needs an all-you-can-eat buffet, right? :)