Ollie Owl and the Case of the Disappearing Cherries

Ollie Owl (aka: Head of Security at the Freed Family Farm)

My name is Ollie Owl, and I am the new head of security at the Freed Family Farm. Let me tell you, before I came around, there wasn't much working to keep the farm secure. There have been a couple of dogs working off and on in the past, but nobody has taken this role as seriously as I have.

My first case is about as serious of a case as I can think of. The Freed Family has hired me to protect their beloved cherry tree from the perilous dangers of the area. As I looked over the case file, I discovered that this cherry tree has been part of a years long mystery that I intend to solve: The Case of the Disappearing Cherries.

The Cherry Tree in Full Bloom

Every year the cherry tree blooms many beautiful flowers which begin to develop into hundreds, if not thousands, of cherries. As the cherries begin to grow and develop the Freed Family begins to dream of eating them fresh off the tree or baking amazing cherry pies.

Unfortunately, every year at this time, the cherries begin to disappear without a trace. This leaves the family with just a couple handfuls of cherries to sample what could have been a bountiful harvest.

The number one suspect at this time is a group of birds which live in the area. Witnesses have reported seeing these birds sitting in the cherry tree around the time of the disappearance. Some witnesses even claim to have seen the birds eating the cherries without a care in the world.

Cherries Beginning to Develop

In the past, the Freed Family has tried using bird netting to block the birds from getting close to the cherries, but the tree is just too large to cover with netting. The few branches that are covered have been saved, but the the majority of the tree has been left unprotected. They also tried hanging reflectors in the trees, but the birds didn't seem to mind those at all.

This year, the Freed Family finally came to their senses and hired me to help. I have developed a surefire plan to keep these cherries from disappearing.

Bird feeder hanging a short distance from the cherry tree.

First, we hung a bird feeder a short distance from the tree. The hope is that this will be an alternative source of food for the birds, and they won't even want to eat any of the cherries.

Second, once the cherries get a bit bigger, we are going to hang bird netting over all of the branches we can.

Third, as the cherries get close to ripening, we will hang reflectors back in the tree. Perhaps, the birds will have forgotten how harmless these reflectors actually are.

Finally, I have taken my post near the cherry tree. I will watch over the tree day and night with my unblinking eyes. Every few days, I plan to move to a new position, which will let the birds know that I am watching their every move. I am confident that nobody will mess with the cherry tree this year and am looking forward to the moment when the Freed Family shares a slice of cherry pie with me.

Make sure to follow our Facebook page to see updates on my progress protecting the Freed Family Farm.

Ollie Owl silently watches over the cherry tree.

-Ollie Owl

Head of Security at the Freed Family Farm