THIS OLD FARMHOUSE - Segment 2 (Scroll down for opening segment)


     With anxiety building to fever pitch, the day arrived for our move into the old farmhouse.  It had no insulation, no electric heat, and single-pane windows that could have been upgraded to chicken wire.  We would enjoy the great outdoors, indoors.  It had an old wood stove that was large enough to hold a small forest.  This would allow us to cut and stack wood together; the perfect recipe for family bonding. 

     I was looking forward to the challenges of the old farmhouse.  Adversity would be stalking us every moment.  I couldn’t wait!  I didn’t have to wait.  It came immediately!     The front door wouldn’t let us in.  “With your experience in woodshop, maybe you could SAND it down,” said my wife.  I loved her sense of humor.  After jiggling a key in the lock for approximately 20 minutes and politely threatening the door with a hole in its midsection, it let us in.  Adversity was there to greet us.  As I shut the door, the doorknob on both sides fell off.  Fortunately I had a screwdriver, which I always carried with me for my encounters with missing doorknobs.  With the screwdriver, I was able to twist the lock assembly and open the door.

 

     Meanwhile, our son had been staring at the old wood stove and thinking about the small forest he would have to split and stack.  When the door opened, he tried to make a run for it.  Using my extraordinary quickness, I made a quick burst and stayed in close pursuit as he darted across the yard.  I lunged and tackled him just as he was about to reach the car.  We were already beginning to bond. 

     Adversity continued to stalk us.  I waited for it to tire.  As darkness settled in, we discovered it never tired.  As soon as I flipped on the light switch, the power went out.  “Must be wired for candles,” I said.  We quickly learned that the slightest provocation would cause the power to shut off.

     “Will the lights go out if I light a fire in the woodstove?” asked my wife.

     “Probably just cause them to flicker a bit,” I answered.

 

     While we were trying to catch our breath, Adversity appeared to have boundless energy.  It rudely awakened us one morning with a scream from our daughter.  “There’s a bird on my bedpost!” she yelled.   

     I jumped out of bed and ran upstairs.  Sure enough, perched on her bedpost was the rare yellow-breasted bedroom intruder; a rare find, indeed. 

    “Wow!” I exclaimed.  “These birds are usually found outdoors.” 

     I was hoping the Audubon Society wouldn’t find out.  I feared they might try to get her room designated as a bird sanctuary.  Then we’d have to worry about “birders” hiding in her closet, waiting for another sighting of the rare bedroom intruder.   

     I would have to coax the bird out of the house before there was a knock at our door from the Audubon Society.  I knew from a previous encounter with the living room chickadee that extreme calm was necessary in negotiating an exit.  Do not send your cat to do the negotiating. This can result in a large cleaning bill.  You must talk the bird out slowly and deliberately.  Be sure to have all the doors and windows open.  You can always wrap up in a blanket if it is sub-freezing, and you have to wait several days for the bird to make his travel plans.  He may be waiting for the cat to freeze to death.  Then he can strut out the front door and fly away.

     Thankfully, we didn’t endure a long wait.  Our yellow-breasted intruder realized there would be far more air space outdoors.  So he flew out an open window.  I love a smart, quick-thinking bird.      

 

     Each new day brought more drama than the day before. 

 

 

To be continued...check back soon