Greetings, friends! I apologize for the long recess, but my, hasn't time flown! Or, maybe it hasn't. Whichever it is, spring has sprung, flowers have popped up (and been eaten by rabbits and deer!), and the grass has been cut several times already. The real pool will be opened sometime this week, and before we know it, we'll be able to jump in and slough off the troubles of the day. Moink can't wait, and neither can I.
About the reference to Capistrano. You've all heard of the famous swallows that return every year to Capistrano on the same day. Well, they've got nothing on Cecil Intermediate! One afternoon, as my friend Sam and I waited to go to our cars, we noticed a robin hopping about near our Principal's car. Then, the fine feathered creature flew up and sat on the mirror. Now, if you've ever watched birds, (my mother-in-law used to have parakeets), they LOVE to kiss the bird in the mirror. Well, let me tell you how much this robin fell in love with this car- so much so, it left several deposits! We couldn't help but laugh, but thought nothing of it as we got in our cars and drove home.
As I pulled into a space the next morning, I noticed the little robin happily making its acquaintance again with the car - pecking at the hood, kissing the mirror... Laughing, I snapped a picture, then sent it to my principal, who was astounded and annoyed that the bird was back. He went out and moved his car, and for the next several days, he parked in several different spaces trying to thwart the little bugger. I started to pull into a space one morning and stopped short - there were two robins standing in the empty space, staring at a black car. When I saw whose car it was, I couldn't help but laugh out loud! They had their little heads cocked to the side as if wondering if that was indeed their friend - and, of course, it was a little disconcerting to see the robin had brought someone else to the party! I considered parking elsewhere, but decided they would figure it out, and my vehicle would be safe.
Later that day, Sam told me the robins had started on his car - again, pecking away at the hood, kissing themselves in the mirrors...and he, too, has started parking in different places in the parking lot. Then, just the other day, we noticed another teacher had parked in a completely different spot than usual. Robins - go figure! I suggested that maybe we need some sort of distraction for the birds, like whirligigs or windmills along the front of the parking lot that might make them stay away from the cars. At least, the cars near the garden toys. I guess the rest of the lot would be up for grabs. Maybe that would be a good art project for the kids next year. Something to think about, anyway!
I don't know if the kind folks in Capistrano have this issue with their swallows, but the robins of Cecil Intermediate are beginning to make a name for themselves, at least among the faculty! Fortunately, here at the Stress Pool, we haven't had bird issues - no crazy nests in odd spaces like we had on Grouse - we used to have a robin every year try to build a nest on top of the outside backyard light fixture! They sometimes pick the worst spots to try to build a nest. And, I can't but believe it was the same robin - there can't be that many misguided birds in the world, right?
So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop on by for a dip in the pool. Bring a towel, grab a snack, and we'll chat about the crazy things that happen around us - after all, that's why we have the Stress Pool!
