News from my aviary

Last December I wrote about my aviary and the changes I made when I was forced to get rid of my bird feeder. I took it down because it was drawing all the neighborhood undesirables -  squirrels, rats, cats and who knows what else. So I gave it away and bought two Sedge Evergold plants to put in pots. The plants look like old, english sheepdogs with their hair hanging down over their eyes. They've been very successful so far.

I put the plants in two pots on my deck and their hair - I mean fronds - stood up and then hung down and covered the edge of the pots. I then put a small plastic container in one of the pots and pulled the fronds around it so no one could see it. I put the birdseed in the container, sat down on my couch, stared out the sliding glass door and waited for Larry, my sparrow, to come and find the food. I sat there for two weeks until I had to go to the bathroom really, really badly and was very hungry. Wait! That happened in another episode of my life and had nothing to do with my sparrow. That will be another story. Actually, Larry found the food shortly after I had arranged everything! I was thrilled when he came and pushed aside the fronds and got into the container and ate. I felt like my baby was growing up and could find his way in the world . . . and on my deck.  My work was done for the time being.

I had also put a small container - a garlic salt lid - on the ledge with water so Larry could drink. One day I saw him sitting in the tiny container and trying to take a bath! So I found a much larger plastic container, filled it with water and set it on the ledge to see if Larry might take a bath. Well, it wasn't much later that Larry was taking a bath! He thrashed around and splattered water all over the ledge. I've never seen anything like it. He did that for several weeks and then quit. Even in our hot weather he didn't bathe. I think he needs some sort of training in good hygiene practices! I guess my work isn't done after all.

I wanted to take a picture of Larry eating or bathing but I can never get close enough to accomplish that. So I decided to sit in the doorway of my opened sliding glass door which would enable me to be lower so I could have a good vantage point for a shot of the feeder, even without Larry in it. But I can't get down on the floor because of my affliction , , , is it the vapors or ataxia? I don't think it's the vapors as that is what overcomes elderly southern ladies and I'm not an elderly southern lady. And that was what they had back in the 1900s. So I tried to get my rear end down on the floor, but I fell onto my butt and rolled onto my back. I didn't hurt myself but it was a shitty way to spend an afternoon! I wonder if professional photographers ever have anything like that happen to them - probably not because they are professionals! I did get a photo of the feeder and got myself back on my feet which was somewhat difficult. I wonder if Larry was watching . . . and probably laughing the way sparrows do in their squeaky little voices as they run around on their skinny little legs. I love it when they do that!

                   - - - - - - -   NEWS FLASH!!

This has nothing to do with my aviary, but It just came over the news and I felt like answering it. They are saying Texas has run out of the execution drug!!! How can that be? I would think they would be well prepared at all times. What a shame!!!

I'm sure Rick Perry will come up with something. And, also a cop stopped George Zimmerman for speeding in Texas. George told the cop he had a gun in his  glove compartment and didn't know where he was going! What???