OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

'THERE AROSE SUCH A CLATTER'
When dining in a fancy restaurant, patrons will order Pheasant Under Glass. If you dined at the home of Tyler and Ashley Hanson recently you might have been served Pheasant Through the Glass.
While playing with their 2-year-old son, Greyson, in the living room entrance next to the kitchen on the morning of Nov. 22, Tyler and Ashley were startled by the shattering of glass.
The events that unfolded after that had the similarities of a line from "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
"When out in the living room there arose such a clatter, they sprang from the kitchen to see what was the matter."
The picture window in the living room had suddenly shattered and momentarily left them dumbfounded.
"We didn't know if it was because of the change in the temperature or something hit it, but there was glass everywhere," said Ashley.
As Tyler began to pick up the shards of glass, he noticed something unusual behind the couch. Lying stunned on the carpet next to the wall was a bird that had "bonked" into the window as birds often do. Only this wasn't an ordinary sparrow or blackbird. This was a pheasant.
"I couldn't believe it when Tyler said 'There's a pheasant back here," Ashley said.
Moments later, the dazed bird started moving around a little.
"When it started moving, I don't know what happened after that because I grabbed my son and ran downstairs," said Ashley with a laugh. "I'm not a pheasant person."
The pheasant likely had built up a full head of steam before hitting the window because it went through two panes of glass to reach the inside of the Hanson home on South Wilson Street.
"I still can't believe it," Ashley said more than once. "We don't even live out in the country. I posted it on social media to see if anyone else had ever had this happen or if we were the only unlucky ones. One person said they had a crow come through their window. But no pheasants."
Kenecki, one of the two rescue cats at the Hanson home, was resting on the couch when the bird hit the window. He was no help, though, as he quickly ran and hid.
Tyler is a pheasant hunter, but this was the first time he didn't have to go out in the fields searching for the colorful bird. This one came special delivery.
Tyler finished off the pheasant as hunters do when a bird is still alive after shooting it. When visiting for Thanksgiving, Tyler's mother offered to take the pheasant home with her to eat. She is also a pheasant hunter.
With Christmas coming up, maybe a goose will be next to hit the window.