Ann,
"You could go to the hardware store & get a coil (ice maker tubing) big enough to go once around in the bath inside like a hoop & then everything would be very easy to deal with."
That's a good idea to think about (after Christmas and New Year's Day)!
I've the 20 pennies all around the birdbath. Is it better to do that or just pile them in the middle? Does it make a difference?