It's summer at last, and in my spare free time I just love it to work in my blooming garden.

Um... Blooming? All my wonderful tulips, hyacynths, daffodils and crocuses are gone. Wilted leaves are all that's left of them...

High time to do something about this wasteland!

I step into my car, and drive to the Garden Centre.
Inside, I find lots of blooming plants, garden furniture, all sorts of vases, barbeques and the most cute garden gnomes.

I love gnomes! And I also adore other garden figurines, like stone fungi, bridges and plastic animals.

In a feverish hurry, I fill my cart with little yellow ducks, iron turtles, a brown todd, some frogs, a huge goose, and a sweet little owl.

Returning home, I realize I've forgotten to buy blooming plants.
Duh!

Ah well, no harm done, I'll probably return there one day.

I rush into my garden and find a place for all my newly bought treasures. Except for the owl.

Looking around, my gaze stops at a lower branch of my birch tree, and I decide to put it up there. After all, birds live in trees, right?

I brew myself a fresh cup of coffee and sit down on a chair, enjoying my beautiful garden.

Okay, I admit, there aren't many blooming plants, but it looks nice anyway.

Suddenly, I squeeze my eyes into little lines. Where's my owl? My owl is gone!

Scooting to the tree, I find the poor soul lying in a briar. It's a good thing he's made of plastic. The sharp thorns did no harm.

I put the bird back on his tree, and rush to my computer to get some writing done.
But when I return to the garden, Owl has fallen on the ground again.

Strange. There's no wind, not even a breeze. And all the other figurines are still in place.

Heaving a big sigh, I put Owl firmly back on his branch, but a few minutew later I find the poor creature on the ground again.

What on earth is happening in my garden?

A few days pass. Days in which Owl keeps tumbling down...

Is this a real owl, having his fill of sitting on a branch? Or is he haunted, perhaps?

Both thoughts give me an icecold shiver...

Then, it's Friday morning. Before I start writing, I cast a quick glance out of the window.
Wow, this is almost unbelievable. Mister Owl is still sitting on his branch. At last!

The moment I turn around, my eyes catch the sight of a black crow flying into my birch.
Landing on Owl's head, he pecks the poor animal with all his might.

Owl tumbles down and Crow flies off. I can see a satisfied grin on his face.

Aha! Just you wait, you evil thing!

I get myself a stepladder and some wire, and spend several minutes to tie Owl firmly to his branch.

I go back in and hiding myself behind the curtains, I wait.

An hour later Crow returns, and starts pecking Owl like a madman. But he can't get rid of him anymore...

Ha! Got you, you little rascal!

Greetings from The Netherlands,

    :-) Anita Verkerk.