Monday started off like a normal day, but I was in for some excitement. As I was walking out the door, hands full with a baby carrier, diaper bag and things for work, I saw a bird swoop down in front of me and thought "whoa that was really close." And at the same time remembered I had forgotten Huck's milk in the fridge. So I turned around and as I walked into the front entry, I realized why I thought the bird seemed so close...it had flown into the house and was now fluttering around our living room! This freaked me out quite a bit, and I hesitated to even go across the kitchen to get the milk, but knew it had to be done. So I ran across the kitchen, grabbed what I needed, ran back, got everything in the car and headed to our landlord's house. Matt was out of town for the week and I had a bird in the house. You would think this is maybe the first time this has happened to me, but alas, it is not...oh no, a couple years ago, relatively same scenario, but without the baby. Yes, I do think it is weird that we've had 2 birds fly into our house and both times my husband has been out of town for work when he typically works a job that doesn't have much overnight travel. Back to my story...
My landlord just chuckled at me and told me to open both doors, get my broom and put some glasses on to cover my eyes. He told me to go on and take Huck to daycare, then he'd come down when I got home for moral support. Did I tell you that a bird in my house terrifies me and that the last time this happened, my landlord offered the same support, chuckling the entire time? So, when I got home, I opened the doors, but couldn't get to my broom because that would require walking through the house to the laundry room, which is at the back of the house and through the path of the bird, which at this time was in the kitchen. I did, however, have access to a whiffle ball bat, so I grabbed that, thinking at least it would be something to swing at the bird. My landlord thought this was the funniest thing he had ever seen and continued to tell me how I needed a broom. By this time, the bird had flown into my office and was perched on a picture frame. Side note: When the bird came into our house a couple years ago I was just convinced that it was because we have so much nature inside our house and that it just felt at home in there. Well, when I saw the bird in the office I thought the same thing because this room also happens to be where the deer heads are hanging on the wall and a stuffed duck is "in flight" hanging from the ceiling. Since the bird was in this room, I could close the doors to some other rooms to guarantee it wouldn't be able to get into those rooms. And luckily by this time my landlord's son, who knows just how to get birds out of the house, arrived and saved the day. Within a few minutes he had gotten the bird to fly through the house and out the back door.
Here's the history behind the birds: We've had these barn swallows swooping around the house for a few weeks now and I've been telling my husband how we need to get rid of them somehow because they are such pests and I'm so scared of them always dive-bombing around the front door and garage. Now we definitely had a reason to get rid of them.
So with the bird situation taken care of, I was greeted the next day by a big old groundhog walking across the yard, right up to the house. Again, not the first time we've had a groundhog problem--same year as the bird in the bird in the house, actually. I haven't seen this groundhog digging anywhere yet and I don't want to. My husband's weekend "to-do list" now included knocking down a barn swallow nest and setting a live trap for Mr. Groundhog. The results? No barn swallow nest to be found, so the next best thing I guess, is eliminating the birds. You know how boys are... And he just set the live traps today and has charged me with the task of getting rid of the rodent if we get one...I'm guessing I'll be calling on someone to help with that if it happens.
As much as both Huck and I love being outside, we/(I) don't necessarily like it when the outside comes in. I know my husband enjoys his leadership role at the academy, but is also sad that he is going to be missing so much of our son's new discoveries and experiences this first year. Huck didn't get to be in on all of the excitement of the bird in the house and neither did my husband, but it is still an experience we aren't soon going to forget. I'm not sure my husband is too disappointed he missed this adventure. Thanks for being a great husband and daddy and taking care of things this past weekend!
The only nature we need indoors right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment