Never thought retirement would be like this
- Thread starter NancyNGA
- Start date
Meanderer, I'll skip the guitar, but would like that electronic automatic tuner (~0:50). I learned when you change to new strings they begin to stretch, and you have to keep tuning the guitar. A video showed how to stretch them, and cut to the chase, so to say.
ndynt
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Florida
Your posts are always fun, Nancy. And Meanderer's graphics always add humour. Enjoying your barn birds. Have you been able to identify just what they are?
Musical instrument that uses 2000 marbles (and at least 2 belts)
Oh I remember this guy and his musical gadgets and 2 belts.
Genius!We get birds nesting in our shed every year but the birds are used to us and the cat so it’s all good. It’s tyriant flycatcher Have fun with them and have a nice day.
Thanks Keesha. Tyrant flycatcher. A family.
Maybe Eastern Kingbird within that family. What a scentific name, Tyrannus tyrannus! We sure would have enough flying insects to keep them happy here. I just checked out an audio, and the "noise" it makes is the same.
ETA: Just found this...."Eastern Kingbirds prefer large insects (including ants
), which they take back to the perch, beat into submission, and swallow whole." Sure hope they beat some fire ants into submission. :devil:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Kingbird/lifehistory
Random thoughts and stuff...
The neighbor is now pouring a concrete driveway/parking lot at his rental property across the street. If my father were alive I know he would have told me to buy that house next door, no matter what it cost, and would have scraped up the money to help if I needed it. Did I say I hate making big decisions by myself?
Last night I tore out that little partition covering some pipes in the closet. It was crooked and I've been trying to decide whether it was *too* crooked. It is back in straight now! Bought one sheet of drywall for a trial run some time ago, and have a piece cut, ready to go on the ceiling. That will be the hardest piece because of juggling it around up there. They say to make as few seams as possible, but I'm not going to follow their advice, because that would put a seam right in front of the light. It's bound to show imperfections, even with most professionals doing it, and that would bother me forevermore. LOL
Got other things I have to do this afternoon, though, so maybe tonight. Lawn mowing will start as soon as the rain goes away for good and things dry out.
This picture makes me sad. The only thing my cat will play with is the red dot laser. She has gotten bored with everything else, and I'm afraid she will get bored with that also, so I use it sparingly. She is an odd cat in many ways, but really a sweetheart.
The neighbor is now pouring a concrete driveway/parking lot at his rental property across the street. If my father were alive I know he would have told me to buy that house next door, no matter what it cost, and would have scraped up the money to help if I needed it. Did I say I hate making big decisions by myself?
Last night I tore out that little partition covering some pipes in the closet. It was crooked and I've been trying to decide whether it was *too* crooked. It is back in straight now!
Bought one sheet of drywall for a trial run some time ago, and have a piece cut, ready to go on the ceiling. That will be the hardest piece because of juggling it around up there. They say to make as few seams as possible, but I'm not going to follow their advice, because that would put a seam right in front of the light. It's bound to show imperfections, even with most professionals doing it, and that would bother me forevermore. LOL Got other things I have to do this afternoon, though, so maybe tonight. Lawn mowing will start as soon as the rain goes away for good and things dry out.
This picture makes me sad. The only thing my cat will play with is the red dot laser. She has gotten bored with everything else, and I'm afraid she will get bored with that also, so I use it sparingly. She is an odd cat in many ways, but really a sweetheart.
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
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- Near Mount Pilot
:rofl: Bea, actually I think her problem may be that she's too smart. She figures out all of the toys. I run around the house trailing a string behind me, and she just sits and watches me. My other cat would chase a string all day. Rather do that than eat. I have one of those birds tied to a string on a wand. She ignores the bird and just stares at a tiny little knot that I can't get untied, on the string.
Meanderer
Supreme Member
Meanderer, since you brought up eyes.... Get ready for it...:zz:...
I wonder if her eyes don't focus well up close. All cats have trouble focusing *really* close. "They" claim cats find food in a dish by smell, not sight. But her eyes seem to focus well only much farther away than most cats.
I found her living all by herself in a hollow log, when she was just a kitten, maybe 8 weeks old. I notice she gets startled by any noise she's never heard before, especially when she's sleeping. I guess she had to be alert even while sleeping, in that log.
Oh well, I won't go on and on about theories of why my cat is strange. I like her anyway.:love_heart:
I wonder if her eyes don't focus well up close. All cats have trouble focusing *really* close. "They" claim cats find food in a dish by smell, not sight. But her eyes seem to focus well only much farther away than most cats.
I found her living all by herself in a hollow log, when she was just a kitten, maybe 8 weeks old. I notice she gets startled by any noise she's never heard before, especially when she's sleeping. I guess she had to be alert even while sleeping, in that log.
Oh well, I won't go on and on about theories of why my cat is strange. I like her anyway.:love_heart:
Meanderer
Supreme Member
One more thing about cats...and I promise I'll try to quit. layful:
This is the "cat look" I can't resist.
When she was still running wild, before I could catch her, but after we got to know each other, she ran up the other side of a tree trying to play with me, and peeked around the tree and gave me this look. I knew I was hooked. It's just a devilish look, like they are making up some crazy game in their heads, where only they know the rules. I love it.
layful: This is the "cat look" I can't resist.
When she was still running wild, before I could catch her, but after we got to know each other, she ran up the other side of a tree trying to play with me, and peeked around the tree and gave me this look. I knew I was hooked. It's just a devilish look, like they are making up some crazy game in their heads, where only they know the rules. I love it.
Just a quick comment about the meds for this sinus mystery---Prednisone (9 days) and antibiotics (21 days!).
Only 1 day of the Prednisone---makes me feel like I have a dry head cold, with a headache. I'd rather have a sinus infection---no symptoms with that. I wondered why the doctor cowered when he suggested it, like I was going to slap him. Now I know.
Think I'll taper off in 3 days, instead of 9. Should I tell him, or just pretend I took it all? I've never been allergic to anything that I know of, just a little watery eyes with some kinds of spring pine/oak pollen. I don't like things that compromise your immune system. I'm proud of the fact I spent decades developing a good immune system by playing in dirt and eating expired food.
Also taking stuff to counteract side effects of too much antibiotics. This is silly. [/END MINI RANT]nthego: layful:
Only 1 day of the Prednisone---makes me feel like I have a dry head cold, with a headache. I'd rather have a sinus infection---no symptoms with that. I wondered why the doctor cowered when he suggested it, like I was going to slap him. Now I know.
Think I'll taper off in 3 days, instead of 9. Should I tell him, or just pretend I took it all? I've never been allergic to anything that I know of, just a little watery eyes with some kinds of spring pine/oak pollen. I don't like things that compromise your immune system. I'm proud of the fact I spent decades developing a good immune system by playing in dirt and eating expired food.
Also taking stuff to counteract side effects of too much antibiotics. This is silly. [/END MINI RANT]
nthego: layful:
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Thanks Keesha. Tyrant flycatcher. A family.
Maybe Eastern Kingbird within that family. What a scentific name, Tyrannus tyrannus! We sure would have enough flying insects to keep them happy here. I just checked out an audio, and the "noise" it makes is the same.
ETA: Just found this...."Eastern Kingbirds prefer large insects (including ants
Sure hope they beat some fire ants into submission. :devil:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Kingbird/lifehistory
These birds are incredible for catching insects and lots of them so I couldn’t be happier that they nest here.,Anything that eats excess mosquitoes is good for me.
One more thing about cats...and I promise I'll try to quit.
This is the "cat look" I can't resist.
When she was still running wild, before I could catch her, but after we got to know each other, she ran up the other side of a tree trying to play with me, and peeked around the tree and gave me this look. I knew I was hooked. It's just a devilish look, like they are making up some crazy game in their heads, where only they know the rules. I love it.
What an adorable face Nancy.
Our cat we found also and 13 years ago. She’s intelligent and very street wise, meaning that she goes out
and explores the areas of our house knowing there are coyotes, raccoons, the odd bear but she’ seems to know what she’s doing instinctively ., Like your cat she gets spooked easily by unexpected sounds by i don’t think that’s so abnormal. Lots of cats are like that.
She also seems better at farsightedness than close vision. Maybe it’s a cat thing. I’m not really sure.,
Keesha, I probably shouldn't mention it here, but I'm afraid there is bad news about the Kingbirds. They are all gone, nest empty, no parents around. Too soon for them to have flown away. Probably another bird, or a black snake. I saw four Bluejays yesterday.
The Kingbirds are pretty, quiet, and rather friendly it seems. Something different, at least. I probably should stop anything from nesting there again. Whatever it was, will probably keep coming back now. That's life in the country. {sigh}
Well that’s just mother nature. We might not like the outcome, but stuff happens that’s out if our control.
Last year we had a robin build a nest right in our front entrance and we have a cat. We had to scare the bird away so she wouldn’t hatch them because our cat would have had fun going after them. She abandoned the nest and we had to throw away the rotting eggs.
We also had birds nest in a spot my husband left open near our chimney so birds got up there and nested. The first big windstorm that came along knocked the nest down further. The babies started overheating so we ripped off our vinyl fascia off so the mom could get to her babies and move them , which she did.
Sometimes we can intervene with good results but most times we can’t. There’s predators out there and things happen that are out of our control but it even understanding all this logically , it still dugs at our heartstrings when these types of things happen.
Last year we had a robin build a nest right in our front entrance and we have a cat. We had to scare the bird away so she wouldn’t hatch them because our cat would have had fun going after them. She abandoned the nest and we had to throw away the rotting eggs.
We also had birds nest in a spot my husband left open near our chimney so birds got up there and nested. The first big windstorm that came along knocked the nest down further. The babies started overheating so we ripped off our vinyl fascia off so the mom could get to her babies and move them , which she did.
Sometimes we can intervene with good results but most times we can’t. There’s predators out there and things happen that are out of our control but it even understanding all this logically , it still dugs at our heartstrings when these types of things happen.
Where I last worked and retired, we had feral cats that hung around the building. Well, of course, me and another lady there decided to feed them. They got to the point where they were waiting on us to put out the food in the morning. They would get close but not close enough for you to pet them. I even looked online how to make a feral cat house out of styrofoam coolers, wood chips and wrapped in heavy duty contractor bags for protection in the winter months. I made two and they actually used them! Hope they are still feeding them now that I'm retired!
I think I've mentioned this before. There is a group here in town that goes around feeding feral cats. They keep track where all of them are located. There is a large overgrown kudzu patch beside on old shopping center, with a lot of cats hiding in the kudzu. People have put up boxes and small shelters for them on the edge.
This group does the TNR (trap, neuter, and release method). Seems like a reasonable solution. They clip the cat's left ear before they release them, so you can tell if they've been neutered and vaccinated. People abandon cats, thinking they will do just fine.
This group does the TNR (trap, neuter, and release method). Seems like a reasonable solution. They clip the cat's left ear before they release them, so you can tell if they've been neutered and vaccinated. People abandon cats, thinking they will do just fine.
Yes, or the old, "'The devil made me do it', defense"
Roadwarrior
Member
When we moved to the NW into our senior MH park there was a lady who cared for a small group of feral cats. Most residents resented the cats & was always complaining about them. Once I had a chance to talk to the care giver I learned a good lesson. She fed 4 of them, had all their shots, neutered them & fed them on a nightly basis, she paid for all the care & doctoring. I'm not a cat person but now I recognize the benefits they preformed.
They kept all the other strays at bay out of our park, kept the vermin population at a minimum & never bothered us. She had also setup & maintained 4 or 5 litter boxes around. No smell stayed away & were not pests. Some of the do-gooders got on the 'Remove the feral cats' bandwagon & finally forced the lady to give up her cats. A few years later the park management had to pay for the trapping & removal of vermin (mice & rats) along with more feral cats now showing up in the residents yards & garbage cans.
They kept all the other strays at bay out of our park, kept the vermin population at a minimum & never bothered us. She had also setup & maintained 4 or 5 litter boxes around. No smell stayed away & were not pests. Some of the do-gooders got on the 'Remove the feral cats' bandwagon & finally forced the lady to give up her cats. A few years later the park management had to pay for the trapping & removal of vermin (mice & rats) along with more feral cats now showing up in the residents yards & garbage cans.
ndynt
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Florida
Thought you might enjoy this, Nancy....
Dinner and a show: These nine goats draw spectators while clearing an overgrown Maryland park
https://wapo.st/2saeAJh
Dinner and a show: These nine goats draw spectators while clearing an overgrown Maryland park
https://wapo.st/2saeAJh
ndynt
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Florida
Ohh, so sorry you lost your baby birds.