The fourth of the fourth

BAIT THEM AND THEY WILL COME

Sounds like a movie somebody once made about a corn field and baseball diamond.  But in this day of $3.75 gasoline we all have to figure out ways to entertain ourselves without too much travel.  And I guess $3.75 is cheap.  But I don't want to get started on full bore a rant.  Doesn't do any good when we are surely going over six.

 My backyard bird feeder needed some tending this year.  It has been a good source of entertainment while being a good source of sustenance for the birds.  The back yard has become a wildlife sanctuary.  Just last week we found a homeless man in the hammock one morning.

We have been able to lure all kinds of unsuspecting victims to this simple tray of seed.  From mice, squirrels and rats (another story), to locals like this female cardinal and the transients such as the Baltimore orioles.  Its fun but I needed to go a step beyond.  Just for my own "I'm bored and have to do something" sanity. 

So in a good old fashioned North East, bless yur hearts,  answer to expansion. I added another floor to the feeder.  Building up rather than out and thus maintaining my tiny footprint.  A little Eco, liberal, save the habitat lingo there.  See we got a little bit of somethin for everybody here.  Including the horticulturists.

 

So, in adding the second story I provided a roof to keep the bird seed dry and some flowers to keep it pretty.  Planted some alyssum sweet tiny tim (white flowers) and some love-in-a-mist just because it produces a blue flower.  Bet you didn't think I knew all those fancy flower names.  It's on the bag of seed ya know.

My better half says that the tray isn't deep enough and the plants will all die in the heat here on the south side of the sun.  What is it with built in critics?  If that happens, I just give it another five inches and start over again.  It's not like I'm on a strict schedule here.  I have spent my whole life in and around mediocrity, why should I get this right the first time around now?

So far everything is growing and the fat old doves love to sit on the new plants.  I guess it feels like astro-turf to them.  The red belly woodies look great peaking through the plants to get at the suet.   Good picture in the making there.  It all looks a little rough right now, but just wait till the thing blooms.

You can see parts of the victory garden in the back ground.  We'll probably need that when fuel becomes too expensive for the trucks to deliver fresh produce to the supermarkets which we couldn't  get to anyway because we had no gas for the cars.  Am I watching too many "Preppers" shows?  And they still haven't found "Sacquach"!

Which reminds me that I need to expand the sign in front explaining that the place is protected by Smith and Weston to include some other things like Napalm and high voltage electric fencing.  I am already thinking of driving a point in the back yard for water.  We found water seven feet down in Maryland which was potable for 35 years.  When the state fair opens later in the year we will go to look for the proper breed of chicken and goats to put on the mini-range next to the victory garden.

But I figure, when the occupiers come,  that a snare hidden amongst the flowers could produce a dove or two during the lean months.

  Hell, they all taste like chicken anyway.

OK, I'm off the start digging the tornado cellar just to the left of the bird feeder. 

Too much to do here to be bored!