Tag Archives: feeding the critters

Singin’ the Blues

31 Jan

It was 3°F when we got up this morning, and this poor fellow was standing in our yard, greatblue4 all hunched up and looking as if he was freezing to death.  He  picked up first one foot and then the other, trying to tuck his poor toes under his feathers.  I told The Squire I felt as if I ought to go throw a blanket over him, or something.

He was poking around near the well, apparently looking for something to eat. This place is a swamp, but goodness!, are there fish out there in the grass? As a matter of fact, that wouldn’t surprise me one bit. We get seed and peanuts for the birds and the squirrels, corn for the deer, and cheap dogfood for the foxes and racoons. What do you provide for a Great Blue? And No, scattering Gold Fish Crackers®, as somebody suggested, probably won’t work.

And yes, I do believe we spend as much on animal food as we do groceries. Why do you ask?

 

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Help! I’ve Fallen And I Can’t Get Up!

26 Jan

Last night I only made it about two-thirds of the way out to the barn, but today was warm enough to compress the snow, so it wasn’t as deep, and I had last night’s foot prints to follow.

Riiight.

First, I managed to miss about every other step – a literal case of starting off on the wrong foot – and then  lost my balance and fell on my bottom. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get back on your feet when you have no place to put your hands, and the dog is “helping”?

I did manage to get all the way to the barn, and since I had carried the food out in an old pie plate, I was able to sit it down on top of the snow, instead of trying to scatter it over the surface.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nearly 50F, and the possibility of rain tonight, so instead of snow, I can slog out there in the mud. More fun.

BTW – should you ever be in need of a truly first class overshoe, let me recommend Neos brand. The Squire wears custom formed shoes because of his foot problems and finding a pair of boots to go over his shoes was just about impossible. I saw these advertised in a magazine several years ago, and decided to order them, in spite of what I thought was a pretty steep price. The boot opens out almost flat, with a generous toe box, and then wraps around the calf and fastens with Velcro. There is also an adjustable strap that goes across the ankle. If you wear special shoes, braces, or are in a cast, these things simply can’t be beat. I found they also fit over my bedroom slipper/booties, which are the warmest footwear I own, so I stay both dry and warm. I just ordered a second pair, and paid about $50 for them. They are worth every penny and then some.

 

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Service, Please!

10 Apr

I swear, The Squire and I spend about as much on critter food as we do on our own. In addition to catering to the whims of Blazer and Eddie, we put out cheap dog food for the foxes, stale bread and corn for the deer, and seed and peanuts for the birds and squirrels.

Apparently, we don’t move quite fast enough for some folks around here.

A squirrel just jumped up, caught his claws on the rim of the storm window, and gave us both a blast of the finest. “The service in the restaurant is just awful! Do you know we are completely out of peanuts at table five? What kind of joint are you humans running, anyway?” And then he hopped down and stalked off in a huff.

And, obediently, The Well Trained Waiter went out and tossed seed and peanut across the ground.

 

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Fickle Fellow

31 Mar

Although The Squire always feeds the foxes and fills the big bird feeder in the evening, the morning feedings seem to have evolved into my job.

Blazer won’t even come downstairs until I get out of bed, and after I take my morning meds I can’t eat for an hour, so I generally fill the two smaller feeders and put out peanuts for the squirrels. This morning, The Squire said the squirrel I call Patches was sitting under the front of my car, his little hands folded over his chest, staring at the door. This particular squirrel will come running from the other side of the stream when he sees me come out the kitchen door, and always accepts peanuts from my fingers.

Since the poor thing was giving every indication he was going to faint from hunger, The Squire got the pitcher to fill the pipe we use to feed the little critters, and stepped outside. He hadn’t gotten three steps when Patches raced over, sat on his shoe top, and had his hands on my husband’s leg, ready and waiting to be fed.  He gobbled down one peanut while the Squire filled the pipe, and was sitting beside him, waiting for a second peanut in less than a minute.

Ah, the way to a man’s heart – even when he has claws and a long bushy tail!

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