Yes, I know this about myself: I go through phases. Gardening was a big one. Lasted from 1980 until 2025. Guitar strumming was my love for only a handful of years. Baking? Oh, that stayed with me for decades as well. Then there's birding. I love birds. They're beautiful and mysterious and full of personality, one that I do not really understand, but then who does? For a while, you may recall me listing birds I'd heard that morning. With a bird identifying app, you can go far! And then I stopped writing about birds. Or about cheepers. Or sandhill cranes.
When an interest recedes, it never really goes away. It just stays dormant, tucked away for a better time. I suppose that's what spiked the whole lollapalooza about Henry. I love dogs and now I am at a better time for them.
So about birds: though I listened and tried to watch for them at the farmette, there was little I could do to support their habitat. I'd talked to Ed about bird baths and bird feeders, but there are problems with both: with six hunting cats, we wanted to discourage rather than encourage birds to come to us. Too, I'd read a lot about bird disease. Feeders and baths have to be well maintained (think: empty and wash and disinfect at least every couple of weeks) because germs spread and we do not need that among our dwindling bird population. Finally, there's a discussion about whether feeding birds encourages some to stay the winter, believing that they have a reliable feeding source, whereas the reality is that they don't. Your piddly and unreliable feeder is a mirage, a temptation that has no backing.
For all those reasons, I reluctantly stayed away from this project. Until I moved to the Edge.
There are workarounds to all these issues and with the absence of cats or squirrels up here on the fourth floor of the Edge, I have the major problem licked! I can put up and maintain (reliably, all winter) a bird feeder! I'd ordered one on a black Friday sale. And I waited until Henry was once again at doggie daycare to go to the bird store to purchase some bird food.
All this, of course, after checking off a huge number of chores that had piled up, what with Henry at my side, without pause, for four days now. What about our wake-up time? Well, Henry did try for 5:55 again, but I played 'possum and reluctantly, he went back to his bed for another thirty minutes. I suppose I could have humored him, but it's the principle of the thing! I need to learn how to occasionally say "go away." Or play possum.
(good morning, Christmas tree!)
Before going outside, I glance at the weather on my phone. What?! 6F/-14C ?! Well that's a fine way to welcome in December!
We stay out just long enough for him to bark at a sweet child getting on the school bus (really Henry?).
To be fair, she seemed ghostly in the early morning light, but still...
Breakfast. With Henry hiding his dental chew as usual.
And then our couch time. Funny how evening couch time with Ed has been replaced with morning couch time with Henry. What is it with me and couch snuggles?
Eventually I take him to day care and begin my drive around town. To the post office, where I get scolded for putting the return address on the back of the envelopes.
Don't blame me! This is an established company that always prints the envelopes this way!
Well they shouldn't. If an envelope flips, our machines will recognize that as a send to address. Dumb machines!
Then to the vet -- Henry needs one more test and so I need to leave some stuff for them. Next -- a return package to send off. And grocery shopping. (Are you yawning yet?) And finally, my favorite by far -- a trip to Birds Unlimited. The salesperson reassures me that this particular local seed mix will feed those birds that have stayed behind. Well of course she'll say that. She works in a bird food store. Still, I'd read enough to know that she is more or less correct. I buy feed and an additional cube of seeds which I can hang up right away.
Or can I? I bring this stuff home with great enthusiasm. My love for birds is surging. I open the balcony door then tug at the screen.
It wont move.
It's frozen solid. Iced over everywhere. There is no way I can get it to open until there is a thaw, which according to the forecast is never.
I'm not giving up! Tomorrow I'll pick up the old hair dryer that remains at the farmhouse. Surely that will do the trick?
And now it's time to pick up Sparrow. Then Snowdrop.
In between the two, I have a half an hour to do the following: take Sparrow home, pick up his drama clothes and her drama clothes (best guess made as to what those should be), release Goose, walk Goose, crate Goose, drive over with Sparrow to Culvers to pick up something that will resemble a full meal for the both of them, along with gaga fruit, in the car, and then finally drive over to get Snowdrop. They have a dress rehearsal for their Shaw play tonight and I am to get them there by 4, an intriguing assignment given that Snowdrop is out of school (on the other side of town) at 3:45 and there is a nice sprinkling of icy snow coming down now and slowing down the traffic. We do our best! The kids are in great spirits. Nothing else matters.
I pick up Henry soon after. He's ready to come home. And I have a treat for us. Well, for me really, but Henry gets to keep me company for it: He and I both have advent calendars.
Mine reveals a small jigsaw puzzle. Fifty pieces. Every day a new one. His? Dog treats of course. A toy today. I teach him to go for it!
Yet another squeaky something that he will likely destroy in the fifteen minutes it takes me to do my puzzle. Oh look! It's of a bird today! Two of them in fact. How appropriate...
Later still, I call Ed to tell him he can now stream additional movies on our joint account. As we navigate the set up by phone, Henry gets impatient. He never was one for my phone conversations. It takes him no time at all to chew through my dangling charging cord. It's dangling no more. Oh, Henry! I get off the phone and look at his big pleading eyes. You're okay, my sweet pup. You're okay!
with so much love...
