Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Amish Wagon; Doug turning into The Bird Man (and fortunately, not of Alcatraz)

Just a couple more shots from our Saturday drive to Bergeson Gardens, in Fertile, MN, through Amish country. On the way, I also spotted this wagon--most likely a working wagon, and not just decorative lawn art!



And this sweet guy, whom all of you know as "Doug," is, before my very eyes, turning into a Bird Man! (I'll post photos later showing what he's done to our yard!)

It just seemed to me that he was working too hard, and needed to relax more. I remembered that one year, my mom thought the same thing about my dad, and told him that she wanted to learn macrame, but didn't understand it; would he read the directions, learn it and teach her? Being the sweet guy that he was, he did! And it seemed to be a relaxing thing for him.

So I tried it on Doug. I started talking birds (not those Evil Cedar Waxwings that would make him want to take up arms and defend the homeland), but sweet little songbirds and robin-types.

And he took to this in a big way!

Too big. Every day I come home, and there's another bird feeder. But then he went to war.

It seems that he's taken it as a personal affront that the squirrels are cleverly figuring out how to open the suet-feeder-thingy, that he's designated for ONE kind of bird. And he's definitely at war with the Grackles or Gackles or whatever those big Stephen King blackbird type things are that swoop about, thump there chests, and hog the birdbath. He thought he'd designate one area to be the blackbird area, and another for junkos and cardinals and finches and the "good" birds.



Now, whenever I can't find Doug, I just look out the window and he's out there with a stick chasing the grackles, or harassing the squirrels. And there are rules about whether to open our kitchen casement window because the right window scares away the grackles, but the left window scares away the sweetie-pies. But what is worse, and most disturbing, is that he doesn't want to let Bonnie out in the yard because she might bother the "good" birds. Ha! I say, Bonnie is the Queen, and she should get to go out, in the rare nice North Dakota weather whenever she feels like it! She trumps bird rights any day in my book!



Oh, and my sweet, kind, pacifist husband has even taken to uttering words like "BB gun." Anyone got any spare valium lying around?

12 comments:

Maria said...

My, so much to comment on! First, consider getting Doug a water gun. That's what the boys did to Lee so he could chase away the rabbits that wanted to dig holes in our yard. Second, has Mary Ann ever told you her bird stories? She seems to think she's a bird bomb magnet. You gotta have her tell it! Third, I love that picture of you! It's gotta be in the Top 5 favorite all time photos of you! You look wonderful!

Diana said...

Im sorry about the bird feeders and those pesky ones trying to steal all the bird seeds.
Lovely picture of you we should see those more often.

pat said...

I love that photo of you, Angela! Nice one! Now--for the bird feeders...if the squirrels are climbing the pole to get to the feeder, have Doug spray the pole with WD40, then let him watch the squirrels slide down the pole like firemen. It's hilarious. You can also buy a cone-like contraption that fits on the pole, wide end down, that the squirrels can't get past to get to the feeders. The WD40 is much more fun, though.

Margaret said...

Ha ha! Love your rant! And the shots of you and Doug are great! Oh, and I LOVE Pat's advice about the WD40. You definitely need to try that and report back to us about it! :) With photos, of course!

Denita said...

Too funny. We deal with problem squirrels all the time and don't get me started on those "mean" birds. Anyway, loved reading your humor in this! :)

Yolanda said...

I second the water gun. Love the wagon!

Nicki said...

Doug is starting to sound like my dad. Mom got a bird feeder (multi level one) one year and the squirrels thoroughly enjoyed it. Dad would tap on the window, bang on the window, and eventually run out and chase the squirrels. He finally got a squirrel feeder. The squirrels were still a pest, but the feeder was enough of a distraction that the birds got some food (if only briefly).
BTW, Lovely pictures of the two of you.

Jeanne said...

Oh my goodness! You two certainly life a great life. Your story about Doug is too funny, especially because I believe every bit of it! Love the WD40 idea. You can have loads of fun with that! Never thought of a squirt gun....oh the fun you are gonna have!

I agree, the photos of the two of you are fabulous!!! (As is the photo of the wagon).

Reds said...

LOL - I would do the water gun too!! By the way, great shots of both you and Doug!

Joanne said...

Love the photos of you and Doug. LOL about the squirrels and Grackles. Agree about using the DW40 or a water gun. We have finally given up and feed them all ;)

Samantha said...

Too funny about the squirrels! My father fought a similar fight for years! I'd wake up regularly to find him hanging out my bedroom window with the BB rifle in his hands, aiming at the menaces attacking the bird feeder to shock them away from it. In his drawers. In February. In Pennsylvania. Can you say cold??? Good luck with it all. And if I find a Valium, I know where to send it.

shirley said...

OK, you Crack.Me.Up. And Doug, too. We once used some leftover roman candles to scare away the grackles.

But I guess that might get us in trouble with the police in IL!

Great pics of you and Doug!