From The Desk of The Dog: I Be In Trouble.....Again

Hello everyone!  It's me, Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier!  JRT for short!  I'm writing to you from a place of deep ponderment.  Mom says that is not a word and I should have titled my piece, Whoa Is Me.  Mom is mean.

I don't know what is going on, but I seem to be in constant trouble.  I have to wear my buzzing collar every time I go outside.  I can't help it that I'm just a curious doggy soul.  Plus, I'm brave and ferocious.  Just the other day, while I was out in the middle of the road, a giant truck came down the road.  I showed it who the boss was and stood my ground.  It had to come to a complete stop and I barked it up good!  Mom was behind me the whole time and every time she got too close, I ran a little farther ahead.  Hey! I had to protect Mom!  She was in the middle of the road!  Mom was not too happy about my bravery and as I let the truck pass, Mom had to apologize to the driver and the driver wished her good luck.

I have two friends, Max and Thor.  They are really big dogs, German Shepherds.  I like Max, he is my bestest buddy, but I don't like Thor.  He steals my toys.  They live next door and every time I go over there, I find one of my toys and I have to bring it back home.  When Thor comes over, which is every stinking day, I have to constantly remind him that I be the boss of this yard.  I show him my teeth and if that doesn't work, I throw in a growl.  Thor likes to chase me too.  Mom says Thor thinks I am a white rabbit.  How insulting!  He is getting faster, but I can still out maneuver him.  My zag is quicker than his zip.  Mom has a big water bowl outside just for us dogs.  I don't drink out of it much, but Max and Thor drink it dry about everyday.  The other day, Mom was filling the bowl because Thor was thirsty.  It was my dog felt duty to get the first lap of water though and it did not go well.  Thor was really thirsty and when he went for the water, I went for him.  Mom still had the hose in her had and she sprayed us with it to get us to stop fighting.  We were soaking wet before we quit.  Mom was not too happy about that.  She tries to remind me that Max and Thor are way bigger than me.  Mom just doesn't understand that I could care less.  I be the boss of this yard!

So, now I have to wear the buzzing collar.  But, I know if I can make it over the bank, it can't buzz me there.  Mom knows this too and she is getting quicker about catching up with me.  Sometimes the buzzing turns into a bite and I don't like that at all, but it does make me quit whatever I had in mind of doing.  I did figure out that if I shake enough, it loosens the collar and then it doesn't bite me.  Mom figured it out too when she had to chase me again with the remote control zapper.  It was shortly after that that she super glued the end of the collar.  Mom is mean.

There's a whole list of other festivities that I have accomplished, but I will save them for later.  Besides, there's a squirrel on the bird feeder!  Woof! 

 

Re-Gifted

 The three trees, located just off the back porch, made a perfect setting.  Just a few feet beyond the three trees, the woodland edge starts.  The combination of the two made a perfect spot for a bird feeder.....or two.  

It was not long before one feeder became two feeders.  It wasn't long after that, the two became four and then five.....six.  There is a long cylinder type feeder, with six feeding stations.  This particular feeder is supposed to be squirrel proof.  It is as far as the squirrels chewing on it because the perches and the piece that surround the holes is made of metal.  But, one squirrel has gotten quite good at hanging, upside down, by grasping two stations with its back feet.  Then it does sit ups to reach in, grab a seed and then resume the upside down position to eat it.  So, in retrospect, it is not totally squirrel proof.  This feeder hangs on a double hook pole and the other hook sports a flat box, supported by a cable from each corner.  The bottom of the box is a screen that allows the rain to drain.  This gives some of the ground feeding birds, that do not fit well on the standard feeder, a chance to munch above the ground.....the squirrels like it too.  Much handier than having to hang upside down.  Plus, when they leap off of it, most of the seeds do too.

On the top of the pole, where the two hooks split, is a piece of copper wire wrapped and shaped into a smaller hook.  This is where the homemade grape jelly feeder hangs.  The orioles have made good use of it, along with bees and even a hummingbird.  Who knew that squirrels have a hankering for grape jelly?  

On the center tree hang two small wire boxes.  These hold a suet cake each.  The small nuthatch and many variety of woodpeckers love to feed from them.  On the edge of the porch is a hummingbird feeder, that sits on a small table.  Who knew squirrels like sugar water?

One morning, the suet feeders were missing.  Not a trace of them were to be found.  Shortly there after, new wire boxes replaced the ones missing in action.  They ended up having an added feature as they were secured to the tree with more wire that circumvented the trunk.  The next morning, the suet feeders were still there but, most of their contents had been squished out, between the small wires and eaten.  Replacing the suet cakes resulted in the same outcome a morning later.

One very early morning, the most logical suspect was seen sitting in the feeder area.  A raccoon was rummaging through the seeds on the ground.  It did not hear the door open nor the soft footsteps onto the porch.  It did hear the "spttt" sound, looked up with the best "busted" face and high tailed it to the timber.

After that, it became necessary to bring in four of the six feeders inside......every night. The two suet feeders, the grape jelly express and the hummingbird juice. If a night was missed, something would be missing come morning.

Taking the four feeders out the other morning, a surprise awaited.  On the ground, below where the suet feeders hang, was a gift....an empty suet feeder had been returned.  Had the masked bandit had a change of heart.  Had it returned one of the feeders, perhaps in the form of a truce?  

As much as that idea sounded magical, it fit more into the category of non sensible.  A search party had been sent out, when it originally went missing, but no trace of it was ever found.  Rather than a guilt ridden raccoon, it most likely had fallen from the tree. 

Obviously, the search party had never given thought to looking up.  When the leaves have fallen, a new search will begin for the one still in hiding.   Hmmmm, that would make eight, maybe they were re-gifted.