MARCH 1 2008

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY. SUN'S UP AND THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER. THE BLUE JAYS AND CARDINALS ARE WORKING THE BIRD FEEDER IN THE TREE OUTSIDE THE COMPUTER ROOM WINDOW PRETTY HARD. THIS MORNING OUR RESIDENT RED SQUIRREL WAS IN THE FEEDER. FIRST TIME HE (OR SHE, HARD FOR ME TO TELL) HAS BEEN ACTUALLY IN THE FEEDER. USUALLY HE RUNS DOWN THE TREE TO THE FEEDER GRABS A SEED, RUNS BACK 2 FEET UP THE TREE TO A SMALL BRANCH, SITS UP PRETTY, HOLDS THE SEED IN HIS HANDS AND CHEWS IT UP.

THE BIRD FEEDER IS A BLOCK (2X4X6) OF DIFFERENT BIRD SEEDS ALL GLUED (?) TOGETHER. FOR $4, THEY LAST FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND HAVE LOTS OF ATTRACTION FOR CARDINALS, BLUE JAYS, RED BELLIED WOODPECKERS, DOWNY WOODPECKERS, NUT HATCHES AND BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEES. ALL THE OTHER LITTLE BIRDS SEEM TO LEAVE IT ALONE.

MY RESIDENT HOUSE SQUIRREL, ACTUALLY THERE ARE TWO, (I'M HOPING THEY'RE HOMOSEXUAL) ATE A FEW SEEDS LIKE HE NORMALLY DOES AND THEN DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO CRAWL INTO THE FEEDER, SIT ON THE BLOCK AND HAVE BREAKFAST. I RAPPED ON THE WINDOW, BUT HE'S GOTTEN SO USED TO BEING LOOKED AT, HE JUST LOOKS BACK. I OPENED THE WINDOW AND HE SCATTERED. LATER HE'S BACK IN THE FEEDER. I OPEN THE WINDOW AND HE'S GONE. THIS WORKED A FEW TIMES.
NOW I CAN OPEN THE WINDOW, HANG OUT THE WINDOW, HOLLER, WAVE MY ARM, POINT MY FINGER AND HE CALMLY KEEPS EATING AND WATCHES ME. HE PROBABLY THINKS I'VE BECOME SENILE. NOW WHAT TO DO!

PETE FED THE COWS AND CALVES, WE TUMBLED SHIMS AND PAINTED THEM AND PAT PUT 4 IN ZIP LOCK BAGS. WE DID JUST UNDER 300 PIECES. PAT SAID SHE SAW
2 EAGLES OVER THE CALF PASTURE THIS AFTERNOON.