Community Chat

[Winifred]

Am copying Birdmama's post she did earlier today to get us started over here.

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Good Morning Birding Friends ~ The latest winter storm didn't drop much snow on my neck of the woods. Instead I got inches of slush . I wasn't able to use the snowblower on it, I had to shovel it and wow was it heavy. I think my outside birds left me and I blame it on the cable guy. First he came into the yard with a ladder and then he put some kind of tag on the cable line (right near the main shrub where 100 sparrows hung out according to my neighbor). I think I am going to crawl under that shrub and see what he did that spooked my birds. I've lived in this house for 11 years and never needed a tag in that general area before. I don't know what he was fiddling with, but if it's frightening my birds, I'm removing it .

Meuw4 - I'm impressed that you know how to recarpet your cat trees. Those things are pricey and I never knew a person could reupholster them. You are so right - nothing is safe or sacred when kittens are that small. They crawl up drapes, curtains and bite everything .

Possummink - I'm glad that you are feeling better and that your neice is feeling better. I can see why she would be so emotional. Poor thing has her baby and whammo, she has to stay and the baby gets to go home. I absolutely love the clips of the cats running on their hind legs. More than once this week, I logged in and read this thread when I needed a belly laugh.

Mousiegirl - At first I was going to write that your little girl puppy would learn to go potty by watching the new boy puppy. Seems she is, just in the wrong location . Hopefully in time she will make the connection that he tinkles outside and so should I. I was thinking about buying a tool I've seen advertised called a jaw-saw. I have my silver maple and walnut tree professionally groomed every couple of years, but I have some pines that are looking a little rough and need to prune them. I have a chain saw, but I don't have the best arm strength (never did - lol) and am thinking if I have a jaw-saw it will help protect me from kickback and improve my chances of using a saw on a ladder.

Winifred - how are you, Stripes and Conrad doing?

Stepping Stone - So, Ellie is going on the wee-wee pads. Did they figure it was behavorial versus medical condition? The things we do for our 'kids'. My dog Max developed something called canine vestibular syndrome in his old age. It's like bad vertigo and after the first attack, I was afraid of him taking stairs to get to his bedroom. I brought down the full sized mattress from his bedroom and plopped it in the livingroom. It was a fully made bed, complete with his bed pillows and he liked having it there. In the beginning, my family kind of looked at me like I was touched in the head. I didn't care - Max was comfortable.

Well, better get over to Hallmark - I am going to my great neice's 2nd birthday party tomorrow. Can't believe she's 2 already - my the time flies by.

~ bird ~

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Stripes has been ornery and spent the last two nights outside ALL NIGHT. You can tell it is not frigid out there at nighttime although it is still mighty cold - cold and frigid make a difference to that Tom Cat. I brought him in a while ago and he will be yowling like crazy in a few hours to make one last run outside - well he ain't agoing to!!!He is not going to be nice.

As for Conrad, well he normally has great manners while in the house. Has only had about 2 accidents since he has been with us here. Last night he diddled in two different spots. Wish he would ASK to go outside like Bailey did. I know he jumped off my bed twice during the night but I didn't think about putting him outside. So if he does that tonight, out he will go. Have been putting him out earlier in the evening than I normally do as I have been soooooooo tired I am hitting the bed between 7:30 and 8:30. So much to do around here and I don't have any help these days and I cannot move as quickly as I once did.

Yesterday I got some Weed and Feed put out in the front yard and side yard and clipped some of the rose bushes. Actually trimmed them back a bit by the windows as that is a nightmare to wash windows and fight thorns. LOL. Earlier today I put some fertilizer in the back yard - hope it helps as that once gorgeous Carpet Grass is terrible PLUS the gophers literally dug up the entire yard - what a mess. So keep your fingers crossed. Also got water on the back yard earlier today - early morning the sprinklers will go where I put the Weed and Feed in the front and side yards. Yesterday and today also have got the vertical blinds cleaned a bit in the living room. What a chore. I have TWO 122" by 5 feet deep windows in there that have these blinds. Tessa and Davey had thrown food such as spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, smashed cherries, etc and had to paint that room again about 3 or 5 months ago because of their behavior. Worked hard on the other stuff but didn't get everything cleaned off the blinds. They sure look better now but am sure they will need one more good cleaning. I have never in my life had kids behave the way those two did and they thought it was really funny. Their Mom nailed them one time and she stood guard over them while they worked. Tessa even spewed soda all over my kitchen and her Mom and she cleaned that up - well almost all of it. I still find it inside the cabinets. The cabinets in the kitchen are a UGLY brown and so you don't always see that stuff right away - you have to face it from different angles. The walls are white so that was easy to spot and clean. Like I said those two kids really upset me this past year - I just do not understand that kind of behavior as I find nothing funny in it at all. I will not bother everyone to tell all they have marred or destroyed in this home. I will say this, a lot of work needs to be done here.

Tomorrow will refill the seed feeders and I noticed the hummer feeders - well one at least - was really grubby. I just cleaned them a couple weeks ago. That is a very old feeder so perhaps it is time to replace it. I took it down - always something. Tried to find some smaller seed feeders the other day - did not look really well however - and did not find any.- that weren't just huge. Thought I would take down a couple of the 5 pound feeders and put up smaller ones - those are the ones that have a mountain of seed udner them constantly.

We were in the 80s today - yippee - however by Monday the temps will drop drastically - again. Sigh. Also the days are sure getting longer - seems earlier than usual - I do not like the short days. Grrrr.

Hope all are well.