Plaques of Egypt

This Spring has been like the Plagues of Egypt up-in-here.

First it was the wasps hanging around my door until the nest was located on the patio and removed. Second, the termites – still ongoing because, though the swarm has ceased, Termite Control is yet to show up and treat the walls. NOW, it’s birds – pigeons to be precise.

Looking out the patio window, I spied two pigeons on the roof. One had a twig in its mouth, which he waddled over and dropped inside an opening in the decorative roof tile, while the other pigeon just stood and observed.

Suddenly it hit me, That's a male and a female. They’re building a nest!

That’s all I need … bird mess on the patio and a bunch of baby pigeons peep peep peeping me awake.

So, of course, I went out on the patio and tried to scare them away with my presence.

They didn’t budge.

Brave little creatures.

I went back in to get the broom, at which time they flew to the building across the quad and watched me for a while as I sat on the couch watching them.

Few minutes later, they were back.

Stubborn too.

Out I went to encourage them to build elsewhere.

And this is how my morning went, chasing pigeons. Figuring if I undid the work they'd done on the nest they'd go elsewhere, I even picked up my grabber, reached up and emptied leaves and twigs they’d managed to bring into the area circled in red.

At one point, my downstairs across-the-quad neighbor – the one I refer to in the blog as my Nosey Neighbor, because she just sits and watches all the comings and goings, had probably been watching me and curiosity getting the best of her finally came out and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Pigeons … trying to build a nest.”

“Get an owl and wire it to the railing.”

"Great idea, but Nurse Ratched would have a cow if I affixed anything to the railing."

“Try Wasps spray”.

Really?

After a few hours, the pigeons tired of our test of wills and moved on but, if they try again tomorrow, I might try the wasp spray.

Running into The Baker later in the afternoon, I inquired about the new residents who could not remember where her unit was.

After leaving me, The Baker asked her the same question I’d ask, “Do you have a car?”

Yes, but she didn’t know where it was. All she knew was it’s green.

At this point in recounting the tale, The Baker said she’d thought to herself, “They let this woman drive!”

The resident had keys in her possession, so The Baker took the keys, continued walking the premises until she spotted a green car the resident recognized. Inside the car was a cell phone, which the resident said she did not know how to use.

The Baker had previously asked if the woman was married.

Yes.

What’s your husband’s name?

THAT she knew.

So resident's cell phone in hand, The Baker looked through the contacts until she found the husband. He was not at home, but led The Baker to the correct Unit Number, which was very near to where the car was parked.

New resident safely deposited, mystery solved, but what a day The Baker had.