Sunday, March 21, 2010

Maybe I Blinked?













It's the battle of man vs. beast. The beast being a red squirrel. I have three bird feeders at my inn--two on the deck, one in back. They're intended for birds, not squirrels. But, of course, the squirrels discover and pursue sunflower seeds. The greys always hang around, but disappear instantly when they hear the click of any door opening. The reds, however, are a challenge. One, in particular, who--in the vernacular of the Cuban Missle Crisis--tends to go almost eyeball to eyeball with me. And we'll see who blinks.


Not satisfied with simply nibbling the seeds, he (she?) made a point of chewing and decapitating the twine that secures a string of Tibetan prayer flags near my rear entrance. OK--I can play that game. I replaced the twine with steel wire. Chew that! Yesterday, I discovered her (him?) for the third time inside the bird feeder on my deck gobbling seeds. Studying the location of the feeder I wondered--how did he get there? It's five feet above the deck and 14" from the house, with no ledge or overhang for gaining access. Apparently, climbed straight up the side of the house and leaped. Athletically impressive--for sure. One of God's lovable creatures--not.

Feedback would be welcome. Thanks...stop by again.