Swallow hard

I'm a bird lover, and if you are, too, you may find this difficult.

Tough.

These sweet little critters, captured by a Czech wildlife photographer, are wonderful in their place, but that place can't be above our veranda. It's great to watch the little swifties doing their aerobatics, less so to watch them dropping guano all over our dinner guests.

In past years, we've built "decorative" corner blockers to stave off nests. No go. Some years we've let things slide until they hatched out a brood, and only then hosed the mud-daubed nests down and pressure-washed the white-spattered flagstone underneath.

This year I'm giving no quarter. I've had it. So far I've brought four nests down from the north side of the veranda ceiling and one from the south side. The swallows are ticked off -- swooping down with their "Alert! Alert" chirp -- but they still won't take the hint.

I'm keeping the hose out.