May 01 2009
Little Log Home Like The Eaton Center
I’m old enough to remember Toronto’s Eaton Center being constructed. In fact, back then we used to roller skate all weekend long, in marathons every long summer weekend, for Muscular Distrophy and camp on the sidewalks adjacent to the lot where the Eaton Center would one day be. (That’s going back a few years!)
Yesterday brought me back to those days and nights on the streets of Toronto as I worked away quietly in the log home we’re building.
As I was a downtown girl back then, not only did I watch the massive shopping mall being built, I also worked in one of the first restaurants (still there today I might add) that opened there for quite a few years – Mr. Greenjeans. The Eaton Center was my home back then. I did all my shopping, earning, eating and socializing under that glass ceiling for 5 years or more.
Having traded it all in 15 years ago for greener pastures the ceiling above me now is bare rafters, but the animals within are similar. See what I mean?
A pair of early nesting barn swallows are desparately trying to start a family in our roof rafters.
A couple of barn swallows have decided to take up residence in our house. I find this terribly amusing, but neither Eric nor Veronica do! Eric can be fussy and Veronica is not a lover a birds – and yes I do know that this isn’t healthy (shells and droppings and the like).
The Eaton Center also had birds in their rafters. Flying about from tree to tree on the top floor so most people don’t notice them until something catches their attention in the corner of their eye.
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We are taking this humanely as possible. Eric is working on deconstructing the nest as well as closing off any open windows and loft patio doors. We have caught them at this early enough that they still have plenty of time to find a new home to roost in. 
Two times after removing the nest (well before it was completed or use for egg laying) the swallows came back into the house and began building their nest from scratch again.
I don’t know what finally gave them the message, Eric knocking it down for the third time or us finally getting the remaining spaces filled in, but they haven’t been back for a week.
I’ve been meaning to get down to the horse shed and see if they’re rebuilding in there (I don’t mind one bit if they do), but if not I’m certain they’ve found a good alternate – it is still pretty early in the season for swallows at any rate.