Nora and I do most of our work together virtually. I drive up to Boonsboro for events but on the whole, I work in Raleigh while Nora works in her Fortress of Solitude. So we do many things by email — conveying information, ironing out details, discussing all things Justified, gardening tips. She lets me know when she’s finished a book (just did). I occasionally offer stellar advice like naming every heroine Laura (she’s yet to agree).
And then there are emails like yesterday’s (she said I could share):
Came down from my office, preparing to go down to the gym to work out. I hear something bang into the front window.
See a bird. As this happens often enough, my mind immediately went to: Bird outside.
No, bird inside.
Creep over, see the bird on the back of the chair looking dazed. Ease in, gently capture bird who just sits there. Take bird outside, put her up on the garden wall so she’s safe.
Two minutes later, the damn bird, feeling feisty, flies right in the back door I didn’t think to shut all the way.
She’s now in my dining room, and not at all dazed.
Not sure what comes next.
Four minutes later this comes next:
I finally herded her, if you can herd a bird, out the dining room door leading to the deck and outside.
Doors are closed now!
Nora
See? Writers are real people who have bird problems too! And here’s an album of garden updates:
Hi Laura and Nora,
Thanks for sharing the bird story and the beautiful garden photos.
My apartment has a little trouble with ducks – ducklings especially like to get into the human pool and then can’t get out so humans to the rescue – but ultimately they save themselves with a submerged lawn chair and a little coaxing from Mom and Grandma Mallard. Peace – hope you bird has decided outside living is the better bet:)
Living in WV,, we have the same issues. Bluebirds are the worst. Had to herd a chipmunk out once and the living room was a disaster.
Glad to hear bird is o.k. The garden looks gorgeous.
Beautiful garden pictures – thank you! Would love an update this fall on the potato bags, I was tempted to try them with carrots and wondered. I’m trying out a standing planter this year and so far the herbs have been thriving. Living near the desert, my birdbath is a popular hangout for the local featherheads and every once in a while I have to usher one back out to the great outdoors. What type bird is that, do you know? I’ve never seen that type of bill before. Thanks for sharing!
I plant potatoes every year, and I’ve been using the bags for several now. Work great, and they’re really easy.
I think the bird was a wren, but not absolutely sure.
I live in Ohio and I had the same kind of bird fly in my front door. He had been nesting in a Christmas wreath that was hung on the door and flew into the house when the door was opened. I had a heck of a time trying to herd the little guy out! He kept flying behind the Christmas to hide. The poor little thing was terrified. It was quite a circus but we eventually got him out. Whew!
Laura/Nora, thanks for sharing this story. To me you’re very brave. I am terrified of birds, since I was bit by a swan in our city’s Public Gardens when I was five or so. It broke the skin, and since then….well let just say I like to look at them from afar, but if one got in my house, I’d probably go bonkers. (The same phobia with June Bugs!) Your garden looks lovely, by the way. Love your books, too.
It was just a little thing, and so dazed it sat right in my cupped hands when I scooped it up. But my mother had a bird phobia–yet my father kept buying her parakeets. LOL. Whenever the bird would escape the cage, my mother would run away, hands covering her head–and I’d catch the bird. Nice little memory.
What was your father’s rationale for the parakeets? To cure your mother’s phobia? Or did he just like watching her exercise?!!!!!
Mom’s hero!
Well, now I don’t feel quite so silly for my bird phobia! Thanks for sharing that about your Mom…not sure what your Dad was thinking, though, LOL! However, my sons, when they were little, used to threaten they were going o put a June Bug in my bed some night. Of course, they also knew what the consequences of that would be, so it never happened!!!
Thank you, Nora, and have a lovey day!
The bird story reminded me of the hummingbird my daughter took care of in her bathroom while it injured. Getting it out of the bathroom without reinjuring it was a challenge. Love the garden pictures. Living in the south, I have already harvested the first batch go herbs.
Thanks for the garden pics.
Can understand so well…..we have ducks…..and they are everywhere, since there’s a lake right next to where I live. Once I was chased to the front door by a huge duck…and on another occasion, a duck decided to fly as I was making a left turn and crashed into my car window!! Talk about being shocked!!!!!
It looks like a ‘house wren’ to me. Sorry, don’t know the proper name. We have them nesting here (Alabama) every year and they often get in the house. Leave a door open (laundry room, dryer vent), and they’ll build a nest.
Gorgeous flowers!
the damn bird is probably a re-incarnation of one of Nora’s characters. Probably from Possession in Death. If characters can come back from the dead, why not come back as a bird, and give their creator a little fun.
Oh, I just had a bird story yesterday, too 🙂
A raven perched on my right shoulder and pecked my ear twice…. Friendly but it hurt, though.. 🙂
For the first time this year, we have a bird that seems determined to get inside. It flies and sometimes sits on the sol pecking at the windows. It’s driving the cast nuts!
We used to feed an egret off the back porch. Any time we are as a family in the kitchen he would stand right up against the door and peek in. One day we had the back door open and he walked right into the kitchen. Needless to say, we can’t scoop those giant birds into our hands, so we just had to herd it back outside.
Thanks for the garden pictures & funny story!
Nora Roberts: author, bird herder Has a nice ring to it. My mother-in-law had huge plate glass picture windows on the front and back of her living room, which occupied the entire center of her old stone house. Constantly rescued birds who though they could fly through and knocked themselved cuckoo. Finally put up those hawk decals and those seemed to help.
P.S. Your garden is gorgeous. Peaceful, pretty, happy, lovely.
I want to live in Nora’s garden, either in the faerie garden or nestled by the delphiniums.
I’m in the UK and we have a beautiful robin that has lived in our garden the whole time we’ve been here. I’m convinced it’s the same one, even though the internet tells me that only one in four robins reach their first birthday.
xx
Familiar with the bird that was quite a visiter. It is a Carolina Wren. I feed the squirrels shelled peanuts
and the wrens have decided that I’m a nice person and have them as regular diners now. Unfortunately I saw a “cute mouse” run across my deck yesterday evening. Hmmm, guess he’s now looking for food. Making sure nothing is uneaten from now on.
I love looking at Nora’s garden pics and glad to see her granddaughter Kayla as mine, help their Grammy planting. My youngest Katie put seeds in five huge planters and now we will have claiming morning glories on the porch.
Whacky Woodpecker
I loved reading Nora’s bird encounter, as I do most things she cares to share,especially her garden, her descriptions are great. This is a regular thing with me as I live across from woods. My latest window whacker was a whacky Woodpecker baby. It was stunned but lived. Friends say I keep my windows too clean (they know me well LOL). I share all my bird pictures and garden updates with friends on facebook who love books, gardens and birds just like me. Feel free to join me on facebook any time.
Looks like a wren to me…maybe a Carolina wren. We have both here in west central Indiana…they are so sassy! Just love them! Beautiful flowers…do you have hummingbirds?
Nora has such a beautiful garden. And I bet you get a blast from those calls interrupt by vivid episodes… I like very much when life – boys fighting, dogs running, birds intruding 😉 – happens when I’m having a long distance call. It’s like being present in the moment.
Well for you it’s probably not so exciting as in a way that’s what Nora gives us when writing it on books and I just remembered you’re first getting to see it.
There are several wife tales (not sure this is the term) in my Country (I wonder if Ireland have them too) regarding birds entering a home… in my home it would drive my daughter insane since she has a bird’s phobia so acute she can’t even eat eggs… but a bird is just a bird… in this case one who decided to hang out with Dame Nora 😉
Thank you for sharing,
Teresa