The Critters

I already mentioned that we have various reptiles and amphibians around. But just in case you were worried you should know that we don’t see them much and they’re not a problem. More than anything we have birds and squirrels.

So we have the feeders out and spend an inappropriate amount of our income on bird food. But it’s what we do and we enjoy it so we will no doubt continue. We even have at least one new bird on our list. We had a male Rose Breasted Grosbeak at the feeder not too long ago and the female just yesterday. We also have seen Indigo Buntings but Kat said we have already seen those at Piney Point, Texas. I just don’t remember. Which once again proves the point, “getting old ain’t for sissies?” Anyway we have lots of birds; Gold Finch, Chickadees, Cardinals, Cowbirds, Woodpeckers and lots of LBJ’s (Little Brown Jobs) to name some. There are eastern Bluebirds down in the park but they don’t come into the trees and visit the feeders.

Then there are the ‘gawd dang’ squirrels. They have been a fight since we got here. It’s a good thing they have little tiny brains or they would probably take over the world. Without spending a whole bunch of money on squirrel guards it’s a real struggle keeping them away from the food and from destroying the feeders. I can’t put suet out! They will go to any length to get that, and have. It can be quite a show but in the end I just get pissed off and throw things that get broken and the squirrels pretty much know that I am ,at best, ineffective. Jade can keep some away but they know how long her string is and how slow she is too. I made a ‘sling shot’ but had a poor selection of materials and it didn’t do to well. I just shoot ‘pinto beans’ anyway; it’s not my desire to kill them (most often anyway), just keep them at bay. I think I might get a “Wrist Rocket” sling shot though. Just for “shits and giggles.” We have the feeders on poles or ‘Shepard’s Hooks’ and now I’m using Vaseline and lithium grease on the poles to keep whatever(?) from climbing them. I tried milk jugs that I center on the poles to make it difficult to climb around and that seemed to work for a while; not so anymore. We have Raccoons also and they destroyed the milk jugs, but the grease has them befuddled because of there weight and I think they have given up? Not the squirrels! No quit in them little suckers! Jade gets frustrated too. She stalks and chases sometimes, but then sometimes she pretends they’re not there to avoid the embarrassment. I said sometimes it’s a good show and it is. We have one feeder about 10’ from the window that’s on a spiral ‘Shepard’s Hook’ and I have greased it up pretty good. The squirrels get a run and jump, and get about half way up the pole before they start to slide down and around the pole. As Larry the Cable Guy would say,”Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are!” “Hot Damn!”, I read this to Kat and she just brought me out a present for ‘Fathers Day”. Guess what? A “Wrist Rocket” sling shot! I gott’a go!

……………………………….So it’s a couple of days later and the squirrels have some sore butts, I’m almost out of grease and Vaseline, I don’t have enough pinto beans left for a meal, but, it’s still a losing battle. To add insult to injury, last night I was sitting watching TV and heard some rustling outside, got the flashlight and turned it on the feeder right next to the window and there’s a $&%#@ raccoon hanging on the feeder. He calmly looked at me and resumed feeding. I threw the flashlight and Jade at him and went to bed. Well, just kidding, but it makes a fitting end to the story. Actually, I gave up and went to bed where I finally realized and figured out how my other feeder got broken and needed to be replaced. #&%$#@ Bird feeders aren’t designed for hanging raccoons and leaping squirrels! But as I lay there contemplating all of this, I resolved to continue the fight. Well, maybe! Or maybe, it just sounds good ??????