Random Thoughts On A Summer Eve

I'm sitting outside on this beautiful summer evening. It is 8:00 p.m. and the sun is going down over the trees and the hills. The air is clean and just the right amount of warmth and coolness. There is very little humidity and hardly any clouds. This just makes me feel so good. I never thought I was impacted that much by the weather, although I know I always love summer. I really do hate winter. Too cold. Too gray. Too depressing. Too..., oh well you get the picture. But today and tonight it is just perfect. I can smell the grass being cut across the road. I can see and hear the hummingbirds as they fly around the pergola and the feeder. There is one hummingbird that is really dominant. He/she will not let the others feed. It is really pretty funny to watch them.

For the last couple of weeks we have had a raccoon that just would not stop irritating us. First it started with him getting into the garbage can. Now that is nothing new, but this time he was being pretty creative and sneaky. Instead of pulling everything out of the can and getting it all over everything, he just flipped the top back, climbed inside and sat there and ate. When he was done, he climbed out, put the top down and left. While it really didn't cause me any mess or problem, I just didn't want a raccoon inside the garbage can eating the garbage. I'm not sure why that bothered me, but it did. So, I put a rather large stone on the top, thinking he couldn't lift it. WRONG! The next morning the stone was on the ground and it was obvious he had been inside. So, that night I put the same stone and a rather large and heavy brick along with it. The next morning, both of them were at the back of the garbage can and it was obvious he had opened the lid and gotten inside. Now, it was war. This little critter was not going to get the best of me. I'm a much determined being just like him. And I'm a lot smarter. So, that night I put two large bricks on the can right in the front where he would have to lift it. IT WORKED. So far he has not been able to lift the lid.

Ok, so you would think that I had gotten the best of him. Nope. A few mornings later. I looked out the back door at the hummingbird feeder lying on the deck broken. What? What would or could have done that? We've had that feeder up for nine years and never have I seen this. Well, not knowing what happened, Lenora put more sugar water in it and we hung it up again. The next morning there it was on the deck with sugar water everywhere. This time it was broken beyond repair. So, we went to the store and bought a heavier one. The next morning there it was on the deck, but at least not broken. We were not to be deterred. We tried it one more night. Same thing. We now new we were facing our nemesis, the infamous raccoon. So, we moved the feeder in the middle of the outside beam of the pergola, so the raccoon could not climb the post to get to it. Did well for a couple of nights. Then one morning there it was on the table with sugar water all over everything. I was getting angry. So, I moved the feeder right in the center of the pergola over the table. In order for the devilish little thing to get to it, it would have to climb upside down around the edge of the pergola, go to the center upside down, then hang upside down with one leg and lift that silly thing up and take it off with a hook and then drop it. That's exactly what it did. Ok, we give. You just can't beat nature. I'm crying uncle.

Lenora Googled to see if she could find a solution. She did. It was amazing how many people have the same problem with their hummingbird feeder. The only thing that works is:>>>>>>>>>TAKE IT DOWN AT NIGHT, BRING IT IN, AND PUT IT OUT IN THE MORNING BEFORE DAWN!! Can you believe that? I am undone. So, now the little devil cannot lift the lid on the garbage can and there is no hummingbird feeder any more. I'm just waiting to see what is next that he does to drive me crazy. Stay tuned.