The definition of insanity….

…is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. In this story I’m not sure if that would be us or Cardinal.

We have lived in our house surrounded by trees for 11 years with no issue. Then about 6 weeks ago Tom & I were awakened at an early hour by the sound of a bird hitting the window. Not just once but over and over again. The pattern went like this THUNK (hitting the window), BANG (bouncing off the metal roof), PECK PECK PECK (as he pecked at the window). This was a beautiful bird (I mean, if you are into that sort of thing, which I am not) a Cardinal of the most brilliant red, big old pompadour on his head.

This goes on for 3 mornings, all starting at the same time and going on for at least an hour straight and then on and off all day. We tried letting the cat sit in the window, which helped a little until he got bored and left and then immediately THUNK, BANG, PECK PECK PECK. Seriously Cardinal?

A few days later Grace found an article in the newspaper about how at this time of year Cardinals are protecting their nests and if they see another Cardinal they will “attack”, even if it is a reflection. The advice given was to put cardboard over the window temporarily. Caring more about sleeping past 6:30am Tom overcame his fear of walking on the 2nd story metal roof and covered with window with Styrofoam. It was tacky but not as bad as cardboard would have been.

Six weeks go by. Cardinal would randomly bang into other windows in the house but not with regularity, we have no idea how his neck is not broken by now. After we had not seen him around for a few days, it came time to put the air conditioner in. We figured Cardinal was done with the protecting and had moved on to whatever it is Cardinals move on to when their eggs hatch. Down comes the Styrofoam (look neighbors, we are not *that* house anymore!) and we settle in on a Friday night hoping our children will let us sleep in a little bit on a weekend.

Saturday morning – 6am. THUNK, BANG, PECK PECK PECK. Repeat. Out of desperation Tom puts our quilt over the window. All this does is muffle the sound from the outside. Because even Fluery didn’t want to get up at this hour, Tom puts Nate’s Sock Monkey in the window (there you go neighbors, you thought the Styrofoam was strange, beware Sock Monkey!). We discover Cardinal does not fear Sock Monkey. All Cardinal wants to do is fly face first into the window over and over again.

Up goes the Styrofoam and we think our problems are done. The next morning as we breakfast we hear a familiar THUNK on the dining room window. Later I walk into the room to see Tom has placed Love Pig and Chicken Dance in the window. This scene makes me laugh that kind of hysterical, manic, sleep deprived laugh that used to be reserved for when the babies were up several times a night.

Circling back to the beginning of the story I’m still not sure who is more insane at this point, us or Cardinal. We can’t keep covering windows. His bird brain has to scramble at some point, or the egg has to hatch. Something.