Spy

In the living room Fox News drones day and night. Politics, politics, politics. NOTHING is happening in the entire world except the presidential primaries. 

On the sitting porch the programming is much more diverse. Instead of the same old story attacked from all sides, with commentators like chickens pecking a mouse, something different is happening every second.

There is no Megan Kelly, but cardinal acrobatics are at least as attractive and much more natural. The male postures and twists, fluttering fancy red wings and singing eagerly, as he displays his talents for his lady friend. She shrugs, harrumph, and flies off in high dudgeon. 

Instead of false rivalry and folks talking rudely over one another, bunnies, Eastern Cottontails that is, are chasing robins off the lawn. They are equally rude, but much funnier. 

Bunnies have great press. Everyone thinks they are all cute and cuddly and Farmer McGregor-ish, when in reality they are violent little scoundrels, fighting at the drop of a dandelion head. In the short hour I steal out here, just enough past dawn to have adequate light to identify at least some of the birds, I see skirmish after skirmish. It's a wonder they find time to eat, between beating each other up and harassing the birds.

There are a lot of birds these days. Four new First of Year birds yesterday alone. Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushes, Common Yellowthroats, and the Bobolinks. I think there is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet out in the brush in front of the house too, but the little stinker is too elusive for me to be sure.

The boss came with me on Bobolink watch last night and we had a nice walk. Even as crippled up as he is....and he is...that accident did him no good atall, atall.... he can out walk me. I had to keep reminding him if we were going to look for birds he couldn't get a hundred miles ahead of me, because they would all be gone when I got there. 

The jingly techno music of the magical little blackbirds greeted us when we crested the hill though, and his sharp eyes helped me spot things far away. Hooray!

It was funny about the turkeys though. We were at the exact crest of the hill, and he kept insisting, "They are right THERE!" And pointing. 

And I could not spot them.

I know I am kinda blind and all, but how can you miss an entire flock of turkeys?

Well, if you are a lot shorter than the guy pointing them out, and they are just over the top of the hill, you just might be a tad too short to see over the grass. I had to laugh.

Anyhow, outdoors is better than in, and birds and bunnies are better than the all day "news".

Congratulations to Becky for being promoted to manager where she works! We are pretty proud of her.

from Northview Diary http://ift.tt/1XmTD8k