Friday evening, we noticed that our bird feeders were gone. The landlord had his workers take them down. Saturday morning, as I was leaving to visit my father, the landlord stopped me to tell me that the birds were too messy and too noisy and that I was not to put the feeders back up again.
It’s the old battle, of course, the one everything eventually comes down to. The world is one way and you want it to be some other way. The landlord is certainly within his rights to not want the feeders up any more, though I would have appreciated it if he had let me know it was a problem instead of just taking them down. And while I despise the fact that a virtual stranger has that kind of say in my life, the situation is what it is and can’t be helped at the moment.
So I’m sitting here, missing the birds. I’ll get over it and, really, in the overall scope of “life, the universe and everything” it doesn’t mean all that much.
But the view outside my kitchen window now consists only of cars and neighboring buildings. And it’s awfully quiet…
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Hi Robbyn,
After two landlords in a row cut down trees I loved (outside an apartment, and, two years later, outside a house I was renting), I suddenly “got” why people are so hyped on home ownership. No one gets to rip out shrubs or cut down trees without my say-so. No one gets to tell me the birds are too noisy. Every time I begin to think it would be easier NOT to own a house and deal with a yard, etc., I remember what it’s like having other people control my immediate environment. So I really do get how much you miss the birds.
Rob
Thanks Rob. I’m just sorry you’ve had to go through it too! The birds will still be around - just not as close as they used to be. I’m just glad the landlord didn’t decide to do this during the winter when all the little buggers were “dependent”.
My father has always been intense about owning his own property. It never mattered that much to me but I’m beginning to see the point.
Too messy and too noisy? HA! This guy has never seen my neighbors! Seriously, how can some two ounce birds cause more trouble than humans? I’m sure if he were to apply the same rules to all his tenants, he would be out of business. (Not to say you’re messy, but you know what I mean.) Sorry your birds are not so close.
A little birdbath[not an expensive bohemeth] some bird friendly plants [sunflowers] and maybe one of those peanut butter and seed covered wreaths decorating the joint?
Laura - Heh. He just doesn’t “get” animals. Period. A real city fella.
Elka - thanks for the suggestions, but they wouldn’t wash. The minute the birds started showing up again, he’d get rid of whatever was attracting them.
