Yesterday morning (before it reached 118 degrees), I washed the outdoor chaise cushions (pelted by bird poop) with eco-friendly soap and the hose.  The bolsters were heavy with water and I carried them to dry against the boulders that were once where our pool now gleams.

Once dry, I placed the cushions back on the loungers.

This morning, I noticed new “gifts” from a bird on one of my freshly cleaned cushions. The mourning dove made eye contact with me from his perch in the tree.

I Googled “how to keep birds out of trees“.

Possible solutions: a scarecrow and shiny objects placed in the branches. Neither one of these would fit my husband’s delicate aesthetics, so I thought some more.

How about cutting the branches off? Oh no. That would not do. We need all the shade we can get around here.

Ooooh! One of those large, fake owls!

More ideas from the Internet: pie tins, old DVDs, mylar balloons. No, no, no.

In the end, I simply moved the chaise from under the tree. Problem solved.