I was sound asleep in our van Sparty when Mrs Ram wakes me saying, “Did you hear that?”
My first thought was, “No, I was sleeping.” But I knew better than to say that.
“There it is again”, she says. Unfortunately I did hear something. “Maybe something fell off the front seat.”
I could feel her giving me that look when the sound happened again. Though weary, I knew I had to get up.
I crawled out of bed and peeked out the side window. The sun had not quite risen yet but it was was bright enough to see that no one or no thing was outside.
I had not expected anyone to be there since we were in the Rio Grande Campground. However some thing was a real possibility.
Since I saw nothing outside I climbed back into that warm bed. Despite being on the Mexican border, it was freezing outside.
I was getting comfortable and thought I just might be drifting back to sleep when that tapping started again. I was up and looked out again. Nothing. I checked the front side windows as well. Nothing more.
This time I put on my fleece, knit hat and gloves and opened wide the passenger door. I scanned the area expecting a chipmunk or squirrel to be scurrying away. Squirrels and I have had issues in the past.
I checked in the wheel wells and under the hood. Again there was nothing.
At this point I knew I was not getting back to sleep. I boiled water, poured it into our coffee press. When it was brewed, Mrs Ram and I enjoyed our coffee as the sun filled the inside of our van
That’s when the tapping started again. Then we saw the crimson culprit.
That cardinal was pecking away, trying to scare away that bird in the mirror.
I vowed to never more be disturbed by pecking birds. I now fold the mirrors in at night.