Birds

Mom has been an avid birder (not bird watcher) most of her adult life. Later in life, Dad attempted to bird with her in an effort to share an interest . However, he was not willing to walk the miles though unpleasant brush to really engage in serious birding. His efforts evolved to watching the birds in the feeder in the back yard--as long as someone else filled the feeder. Mom used to fill feeders until she got too frail and unstable to walk on uneven ground.

When we moved Mom and Dad in, we brought over there birdfeeders. In addition to ours, we have a forest of feeders. However, between our busy schedules and the very wet spring we had, we haven't been really faithful in keeping them full. Here's Dad's response one day when he was feeling poor (see yesterday's entry).

"The birds are fussing because they are hungry. There is no food in their feeder. That is true of it." "We don't have any birdseed because we don't have enough money to buy any. That is true of us." "My wife will be angry at me for not feeding the birds, but I can't feed the birds because I am too poor to buy the birdseed. That is true of me." "If my wife gets mad at me, she might not feed me. And I *like* to eat. That is true of me." "If my wife won't feed me, I'll be hungry. Then I'll be in a pickle."