The wife came in from outside the other day about a bird that had landed in our pecan tree. I dragged myself from my Ethan Allen recliner and went to investigate.
By the time I got there, it had landed on the patio. The wife tossed a handful of birdseed, and this little guy pounced on them, and devoured said seeds. (The bright spots is sunlight peeking through the trees.)
A blue bird? Sure, indigo buntings are blue, but they don’t live down here. It turns out it’s a common parakeet. Likely escaped (or was released) from one of the neighbors.
What to with it? The neighbors are proud of all their stray cats that frequently use my gardens for “shitting stations”. The parakeet would have been an easy meal for said felines.
The wife returned later with her daughter (the biologist) and a bird cage. Safe again, yet back in captivity. She said that these birds are bred in captivity and have no clue as to how to fend for themselves outside of a cage.
That was Saturday.
Sunday, we loaded up each our separate cars, and made another load to the ranch. Man, I am sick of this bullshit.
I drove my load to George West, where I usually get gas, and the Exxon station there was racked, stacked, and packed with customers. I did not believe it as there were people waiting in line to get gas. That station must have 40 pumps; all full. I don’t get it. Five miles to the east, is I37 with gas stations at every corner on the frontage roads.
Pulling the trailer, my truck’s gas mileage goes straight to hell, and bucking a north wind, I burned 3/4 tank driving the first 150 miles. Plus, with trailer in tow, it takes up space for two pumps (for obvious reasons) while filling the tank.
I managed to drive on to Three Rivers and find a pair of open pumps at the Circle K, and filled up there.
Arriving at the ranch, I was pleased to find temps in the seventies, and an overnight low last night of 48 degrees.
The wife arrived a couple of hours later, and we left unloading for later.
The watering troughs for the deer were bone dry, as were the bird feeders. No surprise, as the quick trip turned out to be twelve days. I found a pile of feathers by the bird bath where a dove no doubt met his demise from one of the local wild cats. I used to take pot shots at them, but have more recently decided to live and let live, given we do not have any type of rodent problem here.
I have seen the cat lying in wait in some brush by the continuously fed bird bath, in anticipation of arrival of potential prey. It killed one of the cardinals once, and a justified execution was in order for that kitty.
Little by little we are getting it done.
It’s so nice to have food in the house. Much of our food has been brought to the ranch, as most of the freezer capacity is here, and it has far to go before it is filled.
When I am down south, I have to buy groceries or order out.
Anyway, we’re back at the ranch for a little recuperation this week. The wife is now out of a job. We’re still waiting for her to get paid for March. The money is going fast.
