Dave and I ordered a new peanut bird-feeder for the garden. The handle on our old one was broken off, so I had to suspend it with garden wire, and the lid was fastened down with duct tape so the squirrels couldn't remove it -- but I also couldn't easily fill it. It was no longer attractive, to say the least.
The new one, fashionably purple, arrived a few days ago and I suspended it from the now crazily tilted pole by the patio. It's supposed to be squirrel-proof, and as you can see, it got tested yesterday morning.
Squirrels are persistent, but this one never got into the feeder and gave up after a while. (We used to have a squirrel feeder mounted on our fence, so they could get their own peanuts, but we had to take it down after rats showed up.)
Speaking of small furry animals, Punxsutawney Phil yesterday predicted six more weeks of winter. Has there ever been a less scientific, more ridiculous event than Groundhog Day? I guess we all need a bit of fun in the winter. Especially this winter.
It's not particularly wintry around here at the moment. It was 54ยบ F yesterday, which is practically balmy, and the days are getting visibly brighter, which is a nice change. I think we're supposed to have rain the rest of this week and more freezing temperatures this weekend, though.
I worked from home, and speaking of which, I've discovered a handy little gadget on my computer that tells me how much time I use it each day. It's horrifying. Yesterday, for example, it says my screen time was 12 hours, 34 minutes! Now, granted, that included my work time, and it's also our TV time because we watch Netflix and Amazon Prime through my computer. I read at least two newspapers every day, all online. And I don't use my phone or any other device much, so that's all my screen time. But STILL!
I need to turn off my computer more.
I did get some book reading done, as well as some basic housekeeping. I cleaned out the refrigerator and found some Greek yogurt that expired Nov. 12. It looked fine, but that's just too old to consider eating -- even for yogurt, which by definition is a bacteria culture.
In the afternoon I heard weird, clattery sounds coming from the street and looked out the window to see three neighbor kids jumping skateboards off a ramp in front of our house. They were doing lots of dramatic shoulder-rolls into the gutter. They had helmets on, thankfully. I'm amazed Mrs. Kravitz tolerates them.
Dave and I have started watching "The Walking Dead," which I know will make John happy. Somehow we never climbed onto the zombie bandwagon before now. We're also still watching "Halt and Catch Fire," which gets better as it goes. We're just about to start season four.
Perhaps Mrs Kravitz was herself skateboarding with the lads! You may not have recognised her in her helmet. As for the squirrel - desperate to get at the peanuts - it's like a metaphor for the unfulfilled sexual desires of most young teenagers. You can see the prize but you can't get at it.
ReplyDeleteAnd like squirrels, teenagers are QUITE persistent!
DeleteFashionably purple Steve?
ReplyDeleteThe squirrel really tried hard.
I feel no guilt at all at the time I spend connected to the WWW. You do what you do. Some is part of life and some is optional, like blogging. I spent at least two hours today with research on where to holiday and then booking somewhere.
I guess reading online is no worse than reading on paper, depending on WHAT you're reading, of course. They key is to maintain focus and not click around from site to site like a madman.
DeleteI have just never gotten into the zombie theme. Ever. So, The Walking Dead holds nothing for me. Great new bird feeders. We had a lot of land in Connecticut, so were able to place our bird feeders far enough away from trees so squirrels couldn't jump to them. Every pole had a squirrel baffle and we were successful (although some of our first baffles were too narrow and the squirrels used those to get up the poles). Finally, the squirrels simply spent their time on the ground eating whatever the birds dropped.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I've never been much into zombies either, but I've heard so many people exclaim about this show, I wanted to give it a try. We're only about four episodes in. I feel bad for the squirrels and I wish I could feed them too, but in a way that controls how much they eat and what other critters have access to it!
DeleteWe are thinking of getting a similar feeder to keep the starlings out!..the smaller birds are getting bullied out.
ReplyDeletePerhaps construct a squirrel assault course with peanut rewards?! We have watched videos of some...a challenge for both builder and squirrel!!
Starlings are bullies -- we see them on our feeders too. But I like their lively, noisy presence so we just let them be. They seem to come and go, perhaps with some larger flock?
Deleteclever little squirrel, adorable photos. We had to take our bird feeder down because the pine siskin were spreading salmonella . The SPCA said to remove all feeders. I scatter seed on the deck when it is not pouring rain- which has been about five minutes in days upon days! The squirrel still comes around and throws himself at the door. When I open it he scurries in for a peanut.I think of Olga losing her mind every time!
ReplyDeleteWow -- I've never heard of having to take down bird feeders for salmonella. I have heard to keep feeders clean and keep the food fresh, though.
DeleteI see your squirrel's parents have been fraternizing with the other side (there is a bit of red in there).
ReplyDeleteStrange, don't you think, who or which we'd like to feed and who/which is left to fend for themselves. Note to GZ (who, judging by her comments, is a lovely and measured person): Even Starlings need to eat. For heaven's sake (note to self): Even rats can't be denied.
At moments like this I'd like to blend out Darwin and survival of the fittest (or biggest). It ain't fair. But then life isn't. This was brought home to me ages ago when I had bought the Angel some BBC interactive CD about the food chain. At the bottom you will be fodder, in the middle it's fight or flight, at the top you'll be doing the eating. It's why it pays to be an eagle (my preferred choice over being a lion). There you are: On top of a mountain, majestic, surveying the valley - before you swoop to grab the unsuspecting rabbit. The only downside that raw meat isn't my thing.
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I think gray squirrels often have a reddish tone, but I'll have to check when I go back to the states! I don't mind rats when they stay in their place (the garden, the street) and don't venture into our house. But I also don't want to fuel a rat population boom.
DeleteExcellent Report Brother Steve - Gotta Like That New Sphere Shaped Feeder - Oh, And Those 12 Hours, Doesn't Mean You Were A Gelatinous Blob For 12 Hours, Only Indicates That The Computer Was Running For The Day - Enjoy The Walking Dead For Me - Stash An Olga Girl Biscuit Somewhere From Uncle T - And Keep On Keeping On
ReplyDeleteCheers
Well, that's true -- but normally the computer would quickly fall asleep if no one's using it and surely that wouldn't count toward my screen time...?
DeleteSquirrels never give up. I kind of admire that about them.
ReplyDeleteI've never paid much attention to Phil.
As for zombies, except for the ones in World War Z that could run, you can always just walk faster and stay out of vacant buildings.
World War Z was a good movie! Of course, Brad Pitt's presence helped.
DeleteLily was SO obsessed with The Walking Dead. Or, that lead character, anyway. I've never watched one episode.
ReplyDeleteWe've had no squirrels on our improved feeder yet. Now that it's seven feet up in the air with a baffle and no tree limbs close enough to leap from, it may be the answer. The chickens can't get to it either so for now, anyway, the wild birds have it all to themselves. But watching squirrels trying to figure out how to get what has been hung for the birds is good entertainment, isn't it? They may be hated by some but I can't help but admire their curious ways, their persistence and obvious intelligence.
That's the thing about "The Walking Dead" -- it seems to prompt fierce devotion in many people. Then again, "Game of Thrones" did that too, and we weren't really fans. Squirrels are fun to watch. They really are amazing creatures.
DeleteA friend had one of those 'squirrel proof' feeders. A red squirrel managed to squeeze herself in there and eat herself full. So full that when it was time to squeeze back out, she was unable to. She was frantically trying to work her way out of there. We could see that she was a nursing mother, and was quite concerned for her. We didn't know how to help her without getting bitten. She managed to get back out after a couple hours.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I've never heard of THAT happening. Fortunately I think all our squirrels are way too big to fit through that grid. But maybe we'll have to keep an eye on things when the little ones are out and about in the spring?
DeleteThat squirrel proof feeder looks like it's doing its job. When we were feeding birds years ago, the squirrels and bears would come and make a mess of things all the time. We finally gave up.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we've had to stop feeding from time to time because another pest (rats) starts taking advantage.
DeleteThat squirrel seems very determined! Didn't it make you want to toss a peanut out there for him? It was 82 degrees here yesterday and it's supposed to be 79 today. That's 10 to 15 degrees warmer than normal. It is supposed to cool off again by Friday. I need to get out for a walk today.
ReplyDeleteI always feel bad for the hungry squirrels, and I'd feed them too if I could figure out a foolproof system.
DeleteWell, Ill take the ground hogs . they're harmless. Squirrels are a pesky nuisance.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind them if they stayed in the trees, but they demolish our potted plants!
DeleteI can't call any animal a pest. It's the squirrels's world ,too, and they have just as much right to be here as we do. So I put some dry cat food out for them near the bird feeders, and they much prefer cat food to seeds.
Deletethose peanuts look bigger than the mesh column they're in. hard to see how the birds can get them. I need to get another bird feeder to replace the old one I've got. mostly I'm feeding the squirrels. I don't want to know what my screen time is. and I finally quit watching Walking Dead, did not care for the whole Whisperers thing.
ReplyDeleteThe birds don't usually take out whole nuts. They peck them apart through the mesh. We haven't gotten to Whisperers yet!
DeleteI don't like anything zombie related, but my late husband was a fan of "The Walking Dead." Squirrels are very determined and clever. Have you watched the video of the guy setting up an obstacle course for them? Amazing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've seen those videos! Someone suggested we should do that too, but I don't think I have the patience. LOL
DeleteI've often wondered how people can handle groundhogs and pick them up. Apparently they're more docile than they look.
ReplyDeleteThey're surprisingly BIG! Maybe they're sedated?
DeleteWhen we rented a house, prior to leaving the north west, we would buy 50 lb bags of deer corn and throw it on the back yard. We were frequently visited by a squirrel with no tail. He would lay on his stomach, eat until he couldn't have another bite,and then fall asleep in a pile of corn. Both Jim, my brother, and I were recovering from various calamities one after another, so the squirrels were very entertaining during those trying times.
ReplyDeleteHa! How funny! Wonder how he lost his tail?! Poor thing.
DeleteI started Halt and Catch Fire, but it didnt catch fire for me, but now I see you say it gets better, so perhaps I'll give it another chance. I find I want to fall in love with people if I'm going to commit to binge watching it, and halfway into season one I hadn't really fallen for any of the characters yet. Your new bird feeder looks like its holding firm against the furry critters. And it's sharp looking to boot.
ReplyDelete"Catch" has its ups and downs. I actually thought the first season was the weakest.
DeleteI too spend a lot of time at my computer. I read up on H I I T and so I do 50 jumping jacks for every hour I sit, so the the racing heartbeat negates the entropy caused by being a sloth.
ReplyDeleteBut that would be 600-plus jumping jacks for me on Tuesday alone! Argh!
DeleteIt's funny because I have a little squirrel that run from my acorn tree in my front yard. Not sure if it is the same one. I laugh because the more he eat the less I will have to rake. (lol) He might not know it but he is welcome to eat as many as he want.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of scary movies, violence or space movies. I prefer comedy, court shows and news.
By the way,I got my second vaccine this morning. There was a bit of dizziness on my way home and a short chill cycle when i got home. As of now everything seem to be okay. Nothing happen with the first one. I feel safer from the virus now.
DeleteI'm so glad you got your vaccines! WOO HOO! Time to celebrate! I love squirrels in the garden as long as they're not digging up our plants or eating our bird food. :)
DeleteOMG OMG OMG IM THRILLED you are watching the walking dead
ReplyDeleteWhere are u up to
We just started! We're only four or five episodes in.
DeleteOmg omg omg
DeleteOne of the two blond sisters just got bitten during the zombie invasion at the campsite, and Merle left his hand behind on the rooftop.
DeleteThat right there is a sentence that you just don't hear every day. Ha!
DeleteSquirrels are as relentless here in Los Angeles as they are in London, evidently!
ReplyDeleteI guess they're the same everywhere -- which is why they ARE everywhere!
Delete