There are folks like that in every neighborhood

So there I was, prowling the local garden center like the gardening addicted soul that I am...

Went to the inside garden area to check on a few things to fluff up our little nest...

Only to discover that apparently I am not the only one feeling that the "nest" needs some fluffing up inside.

Seriously; it was a show-down as to which one of us saw this item first.

I was a bit dismayed to see the bird soar away and attempt to fly back outside through the automatic glass doors each time some one passed through.

I held the doors open, and made my best encouraging bird sounds hoping to guide the wee bird back to the great outdoors.

It swooped around the store, zipping inches past shoppers heads, lighting for moment before winging away again.

I finally gave up and headed outside myself.

Only to see that ANOTHER swallow perched within the store's boundaries.

As any Southern California raise person, I know for a fact that the swallows are to return to Capistrano on March 19th each year.

These birds were clearly AWOL by being here in Utah right now. They are NEEDED in So Cal to draw the tourist to spend money in San Juan Capistrano. Don't they know how fragile the California economy is right now? The well being of the entire state may be resting upon their tiny sky blue backs!

The store had placed netting about apparently in an attempt to discourage the swallows from nesting.

Apparently swallow "love and marriage followed by a baby carriage" drive was stronger than the store's defense.

Swallows were EVERYWHERE...flying, nesting, courting, pooping...

Then there was one lone sparrow calling and shivering his feathers.

He was super loud.

His nest was a super mess.

The swallow families probably hated to see that family move into the neighborhood.

Nest values must have dropped like a rock.

Some of the swallows looked better dressed than others.

After a bit I could tell which swallows were a pair; they took turns making nest building runs, one staying while the other took off in search for more mud, then that one would take off to go on the mud hunt while the other would get busy adding to their homestead.

As is so typical in every neighborhood: one couple had an artistic flair which they use to show off and make the other neighborhood nests look drab.

(Perhaps those birds had secretly been watching HGTV over the winter. Darn that old Candice Olson and her constant redesigning perfectly good interiors.)

Had this couple been watching the show about extreme house designs?

(Tonight on HGTV: A house build perched upon a single nut and bolt!)

Who could not tell they were swallows with that distinctive tail design?

I don't completely understand their coloration design: wouldn't you think the blue should be on the bottom so when you looked up they would blend into the sky, and the white and brownish parts should be on their belly so view of them from above would make them blend into the earth?

I'll have to ask God about that someday...

Bernie took a look at this picture and pointed out that it looked like it was built of ...well, you know how bird "flit, sit and sh**"?

Yeah, built of that.

Ewww.

Sometimes there is just no accounting for home design vision and decorating now is there?