Friday, April 22, 2011

RAIN, TULIPS, AND VANDALIZING SQUIRRELS


It is cool. damp, overcast, and raining lightly, with more and heavier rain predicted for this afternoon, as well as tonight, through the weekend, and at least the first couple of days next week. Some of it, they warn, will be quite heavy. Not the news a riverbank dweller likes to hear—especially since it rained earlier in the week and the river's level has already risen to within a couple of feet of the top of the bank. 

However, for whatever reason I'm not much worried. The predicted scenario doesn't seem quite right to indicate real trouble ahead—not like it did back in March. Call it faith. But the truth is, I simply don't feel the bad vibes; I trust this old river.

I did duck outside long enough to make a quick shot of these droplet-covered tulips. There must be half-a-hundred or more tulips now in bloom, in magentas, pinks, and yellows. Every fall we put out a few bulbs, but we need to mix in more colors—reds from crimson to burgundy, and those that are all but purple, various whites, and oranges the rich color of a robin's breast. A whole artist's palette of tulips to fortify the fading daffodils. 

Over the last two days, the nefarious squirrels have gnawed through the ropes suspending  one of the big seed feeders, and the wire suet block holder—thereby sending both crashing to the ground. I've temporarily sat the fallen seed feeder atop a stump, where it has been generally commandeered by the bushy-tailed perpetrators, to the consternation of the titmice and chickadees. But the suet feeder is empty, which has the various woodpeckers in a tizzy. My guilt at this neglect—not to mention the nasty looks I imagine I'm being given by the downies and nuthatches—has about reached the stage where I'm going to have to figure our how to reaffix it somewhere else for the time being. 

This is the third time in less than a month the same seed-feeder's rope has been cut. Vandals exhibiting a pattern of criminal behavior. I'm getting tired of restringing. So I expect one of the chores I'm going to have to accomplish between rains is to replace every feeder rope with chain, which means a trip to the hardware store—and I might as well add ones for the hummingbird feeders which I'll put out in the next week or so. This also means dragging out my ladder, though I don't think it's long enough to reach one of the limbs I want to use. 

Or…I could simply cook up a big pot of burgoo—squirrel being the stew's chief ingredient. Then I could just redo the feeders using more rope. 

Hummmmm?
———————

20 comments:

George said...

I think your final solution is worth considering, although I am not familiar with the dish, burgoo. In the part of the south from whence I come, "squirrel and dumplings" is the preferred solution. Ordinarily, I would think of processing those little furry creatures through the human food chain, but my experience in the defense of bird feeders might lead me to reconsider.

Bernie said...

Love the picture of raindrops on tulips....beautiful.
Just popped over to wish you and yours a very Happy Easter. Think of you all often and hope to be back to blogging soon....:-)Hugs

Grizz………… said...

George…

Squirrels and dumplings were often served in my growing up—and with good reason. Burgoo is a fine old dish of Irish heritage, still found on menues from various eateries of all caliber, especially in southern Indiana and western Kentucky—though only a few still employ squirrel as their main meat ingredient. I've made and enjoyed burgoo all my life.

I am just thoroughly put out by having to redo the feeder lines—and I'd like to avoid the work of using chain or plastic-encased cable. But, I get a kick out of watching my confounded tree rats, the feral cats and Copper's hawks depend on them, and it's always good to know I can fix an authentic burgoo at a moment's notice.

Guess I'll restring with wire or chain.

Grizz………… said...

Bernie…

I'm so glad you paid a visit. I've missed you—though I know this has been a rough year for you in many ways. I do hope you'll be able to enjoy your spring, whenever it gets there. And I hope you'l get back to blogging one of these days, and that your posts will be filled with joy.

Happy and blessed Easter to you, dear Bernie. You remain in my prayers.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Oh no Grizz, I am sure, when the chips are down, you will let the little furry creatures carry on creating mayhem. Easy for me to say as we rarely get one in our garden.

AfromTO said...

Beautiful pic but it is just wetting my appetite-I know I am being greedy but I would love to see a wideshot of the plethora of tulip colours.You give us a bit and we always want a little more of you. Happy Easter and thank you for the seasonal injection of colour.

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

Much as I'd hate to disappoint you, I'm probably less civilized than you give me credit. Law-abiding, yes; honorable; I hope. But not gastronomically committed to tofu and bean sprouts. Chicken, squirrels…good eats are good eats.

For now, though, I'll remain the benign caretaker and redo the feeders to make them more gnaw-proof.

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO…

First rule of showbiz…always leave 'em wanting more.

Actually, there is no real wideshot to get. I tend to plant most of my early-blooming bulbs in dribs and drabs—a little clump here, a small patch there, three over by the sycamore, five beside that big rock.

I should confess I badly underestimated my tulip numbers in the post. After claiming 50, I got to wondering if my guess was accurate and as best I could, did a count via various window views. In fact I have something like 150 tulips now in bloom…but still not many in any one area for an encompassing shot.

Muffy's Marks said...

Beautiful tulip shot. I'm glad you took the time to capture it!!
Happy Easter.

Robin said...

Yummmm... a big pot of Road Kill. Just the thing for a rainy day.

Thanks for the beautiful photo. We got some tulips in the other day that are gorgeous... white with a hint of pink, but they have fringed edges.

Oh, and I have guilt as well. The ducks have been out back for days and I have no corn. The female is there now in the pouring rain..... And I think my neighbor, who also feeds them is out of town. Sigh.

I may have no money, but it's off to Home Depot on my lunch tomorrow for a bag of food.

Grizz………… said...

Muffy's Marks…

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the image.

Happy Easter to you!

Grizz………… said...

Robin…

See, now you've gone and made me hungry…and right before bedtime, too.

I actually never used to like tulips. They looked so predictably like a, uh, tulip—ya know? Like a flower any kid could draw. Too primary color; too uncomplicated. Not like roses or morning glories or even petunias.

There were no tulips here initially. No flowers of any sort, in fact. Then, the second year after moving in, three or four came up beside the cottage. How they got here is a mystery. I sorta came to like those, a little. The next spring a few more came up and I got into taking macro shots of them—right down inside the cup, the colored light inside all glowing like they were lit up. Those tulips and I became intimate, so to speak…and I found them enchanting. So that fall, when I was planting daffodils and crocus, I also planted a bunch of tulip bulbs, and have planted more ever since. But not as many as I want. Not in all the colors and types. So tulips and I are just starting out.

Hey, your duck guilt is minor league. I have goose guilt. For exactly the same reason—lack of cracked corn. I ran out the other day and the Canadas now glare at me every time they saunter into the yard. You ever sat at your desk and had a saber-toothed Canada goose standing just outside your window giving you the evil eye? I tell you, it is disconcerting. So tomorrow, along with cable/chain to repair the feeders, I plan on picking up a 50-lb. bag of cracked corn, before those birds decide to take things to the next level.

Arija said...

Ah, decisions, decisions . . .
How about a galvanised twisted wire that has great tensile strength and makes it more difficult for those furry raiders to reach the feeders?
I like your positive thinking, if you trust in the benevolence of the river, what ca it do but be nice to you?
Have a Happy Easter and stick in a couple of hundred more tulips. Isn't it great the way they are photo=sensitive and close up on grey days?

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

The issue for me isn't what goes between the limb and the feeder. There are several gnaw-proof choices—chain, cable, wire. My dilemma is how to hook/attach/secure the upper end to the limb without damaging the tree—given the fact I lack a ladder sufficiently long to reach the chosen limb. I can come up with solutions, but none cheap, easy, or that seem quite right. So I'll probably go to one of those big-box home improvement stores and amble around looking at all sorts of hardware and gizmos and see if I can't figure out a good, cheap, easy-to-employ rig.

After seeing the upcoming weather reports, I've had a couple of friends and family members call to see how the river was doing and how worried I am about the next few days. When I tell them the river's high but I believe it's going to be fine, I suspect they might think I'm nuts. But I still feel okay about what's ahead, comfortable with the river. I don't know how to explain it other as a sort of reassurance I trust.

Come fall, I do plan to plant more tulips. And yes, the tulips photo-sensitivity isn't something I hadn't realized until I began paying closer attention (now there's a lesson I've relearned about a million times!) and find quite charming.

I hope you have a blessed and joyous Easter!

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ-

the rain drop tulip is beautiful. We aer having rain too, and lots of it. And we already had our first hummingbird on Thursday. I am so glad we had our feeders filled with that red sweet nectar waiting for them to arrive. :-) They delight me so........

Squirrels are a pesty and hungry bunch and have no respect for boundaries!! So, do as thou whilst. :-)

And Grizz - Happy Easter..

Love you man
Gail
peace.....

The Solitary Walker said...

For one reason or another those damn cossetted birds seem to be turning on you as in some Hitchcock movie!

I think you'd better get that burgoo on the boil double quick. You don't want to end up like Tippi Hedren.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

It's sprinkling here…again. And thundering off to the west, so I expect we'll have more than a sprinkle soon.

Wow, a hummer this early. That means I'd better get my sweet-water waystations loaded and up ASAP. Glad you told me.

Hey, you have a great Easter, too. I presume with your Mom and sis and kids—friends and family. Eat well, be blessed, enjoy.

Grizz………… said...

Solitary…

The birds in general aren't so bad, but the woodpeckers had to have their suet—and the geese must have their corn. Neglect either, and one or both are apt to get mean about it and attack.

I'll forego the burgoo this time, but make hast on feeder repairs. Not exactly a Hitchcock solution.

AfromTO said...

Ah 150 tulips you are truly wealthy-in our capital Ottawa we have the largest tulip festival in the world-3 million tulips each May-started by the Netherlands sending us bulbs in gratitude for sheltering Princess Juliana and her daughters during the 2world war-the royal family and dutch bulb growers still send bulbs each year.It is a sea of colour-glad you have come to appreciate this simply shaped bloom.

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO…

Wow! Three million tulips! That would really be something to see. And what a wonderful and enduring token of gratitude by the Dutch people.