Bird Girl(s) of Savannah

Big Bird Girl, in her new home.

I love my Bird Girl of Savannah statue. I bought her the second time I went to Savannah while doing research for my first novel, Boomerang. I wanted her the first trip, but she wasn't in the budget. I made sure she was in the budget the second time! She comes in three sizes (15", 24", and 37.5"). I really wanted the big one, but she was too expensive, so I bought the 15". Buying the 15" statue worked out the best, as it allowed me to have her inside, where I could enjoy her all the time.

She has graced the end table, then a shelf in my family room for years. And I loved her! Then in 2012, a branch fell through the roof and rain flooded my kitchen. A raccoon took advantage of the hole and decided to live in my attic. It was super creepy hearing that disgusting animal above my room. I called a critter guy to get the raccoon out, but he couldn't get there until the morning. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night.

The next morning, I dragged my exhausted butt out of bed and discovered that filthy animal had fallen through the rain-soaked drywall of the kitchen ceiling ... then ran a-muck throughout the house until he crawled up the molding and found its way back out. I shuddered when I saw the filthy, dirty, nasty raccoon prints on my pretty white molding. Various items were knocked over in every room downstairs. It looked like a Hollywood movie where the dad is in charge of the kids and the mom comes home to a house that looks like it's been ransacked. Nothing was broken ... except Bird Girl. I was heartbroken. I had the roof and ceiling repaired, but Bird Girl wasn't so lucky.

My sweetie knew how much I loved her and how sick I was that she couldn't be repaired, so he bought me one for our anniversary. It was even sweeter than when he bought me the 37.5" Bird Girl for my garden for my birthday.

Like I did with Chuck, I agonized over where to put big Bird Girl at my new house. I would lie in bed at night, thinking about my new yard and where Bird Girl would look best. (Finding a place for both Bird Girl and Chuck were high on my to-do list!) Then one night, it came to me! Bird Girl would look perfect in the raised plant bed by the lamppost! (Yea, I can sleep now ... except for Chuck ... where will I put Chuck?!)

Both Bird Girls (and Chuck) were in the first load of things I brought to my new house. I weeded the badly overgrown plant bed and put Bird Girl in her new home ... and she looks perfect there. At my old home, she was in the backyard. Although she looked beautiful surrounded by hydrangea's, I couldn't see her from the house. I had to be outside in the backyard to see her. Now, I will see her every time I come home or look out one of the windows at the front of the house. Little Bird Girl was worried about Big Bird Girl, so I put her in the front window where she could see her. Little Bird Girl was quite relieved that Big Bird Girl had indeed came with us and gave me the seal of approval of her new home.

Little Bird Girl, looking at Big Bird Girl out the window.

I knew I wanted my 15" Bird Girl on a shelf in the living room, but hanging the shelf wasn't priority, so she sat in the window, looking out at big Bird Girl until I had her shelf in place. My sweetie came over last night to see how much I've accomplished with the house. I showed him Bird Girl's shelf, and he promptly pointed out the shelf wasn't quite level. Thing 3 readily agreed. I hadn't noticed it until he said something, but he was right ... the shelf isn't quite level. (Poo!) He'll have to fix it ... as well as patch the hole in the wall I made when hanging it. It's not priority, so until then, I'll have to live with a crooked shelf. But, as long as I can see Bird Girl, I'm happy ... crooked shelf and all!

Little Bird Girl on the shelf with my great-aunt Carrie's hand-carved chairs.