The Swallows of Summer

As we restored the barn, I had no problem getting rid of stray nails and rotten boards. What I couldn’t get rid of was the population of pigeons, swallows and other birds.

The doors were on, the windows installed, and all the holes — the big ones, anyway — were filled in. Surely the birds were gone for good? Well, no. But we’ve managed to find a way to c…