June 23, 2010

Here is the story behind my gourd birdhouse:

A couple years ago, I noticed that some friends of ours had a gourd which had been painted and made into a sort of birdhouse. Theirs was painted with the mascot of the high school where he teaches (also the town where they live). I commented on it and said that I thought it was neat. Dan (our friend) said that his dad had made it for him and he would ask his dad to make one for me with a Knight on it for Triad. I told him tha he didn't have to do that but he insisted that his father had plenty of time on his hands and it would most likely not be a problem.

Some time went by and we eventually saw Dan's dad at some event, at which time I think maybe the gourd topic came up again. He said he was working on it and would get it to me when he had it done. Some more time went by. We went to a trivia night in their town and Bruce and I noticed that 2 of the silent auction items were gourds painted again with their hometown's high school's mascot. Oh woe is me; I guess I will never get my gourd...... :-(

Then came this May when we went to a birthday party at Dan and his family's house for their son. Bruce told me that I should act sad that I never got my gourd. So I played into that and when we saw Dan's dad that day, I said something like, "Wow! That's sure a nice gourd Dan has hanging in his tree!" Dan's dad just smiled and honestly I can't remember what he said to me at that point. I just figured he was busy and my gourd was on the back burner for him. Then it came time for present opening. People were taking the presents from the kitchen out to the garage for Dan's son to open them and Dan's wife comes to me with a bag and says, "This is for you, from Paul (Dan's dad)." Oh boy, I KNEW what was in there and now I was gonna have to eat my words!

So I went to the garage and yelled to Bruce, "Look Bruce! I got a present!" Dan's dad was just sitting there in his lawn chair with a big old grin on his face. It was pretty priceless! I played right into his hands! He started mocking my whining about my gourd and it was too funny!

So anyway, now my birdhouse gourd is attached to our flag pole out front. I wanted to put it somewhere that people would actually see it and the only tree we have in the front is too far away from where people walk. I don't think any birds will actually make their home there but I love the decoration!

Thank you, Paul!