On our condo building there are vents in the front that allow the warm air to leave the dryers in each unit (see above tiny picture- vent in discussion is the center one). Our nice, responsible neighbors got their vents cleaned out because their dryer was not drying as quickly. The vent man came out and cleaned the vents but also discovered that the wire insert was leading to the clogging of the vent and recommended a new kind of insert. The current, out-dated insert could lead to severe clogging of the vent and become a FIRE HAZARD. So, the nice neighbors bought the new type of insert but were told they could not install it because it is on the outside and is not uniform with the rest of the units in the community. What? Remember the FIRE HAZARD.
Of course, as the neighbors were telling me their version of the long, absurd, condo meeting, board approval for a $3 plastic cover thing at Home Depot story- two little birds kept peaking out from the vent louvers. One of them would leave their little hiding place and come back with materials for the nest we assume they are building in the now unprotected dryer vent duct. I relayed the story to Kerry who was not impressed with the whole FIRE HAZARD thing. Yesterday, Kerry called the condo management company to express his concern over the clogged vents, bad inserts, FIRE HAZARD and the birds pooping down the side of our building and the response- ‘we will send a violation notice to your neighbors and inform them that they need to have their vents cleaned.’ This was not the response we were looking for considering our nice neighbors have done everything they were supposed to and it was the condo board that vetoed the covers that would prevent the birds and the FIRE HAZARD. The woman who is our contact at the condo management company told Kerry about how they had spent two hours on this topic at the board meeting, are evaluating the aesthetics of the bird preventing covers and looking to hire a contractor who could recommend alternatives. I think Kerry was as frustrated with them as he was with Social Security a few weeks ago. It seems pretty straightforward to us- just get the new covers. Last night, we apologized to our neighbors in case they get the letter and they just laughed about the whole, ridiculous scenario. I am sure there are plenty of negatives about condo associations but included in the ridiculousness is the fact that no one can paint their house pink or have gold cherub fountains in their front yards.
To counter the birds, here are some new cute pictures of Hadley:
Her in the exersaucer:
And, her brand new tea set from Great Aunt Marilyn:
all three of us 
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