Update

Update on Super Squirrel

All my life I have been aware of how clever these creatures are but my Super Squirrel takes the biscuit. To be able to be such a gymnast and throw himself into prickly Hawthorne apparently ignoring the 25mm long spikes, was astounding. I tried moving the bird feeder away from outside the kitchen window but the driveway interferred.
I stood looking out the window two days ago when he (or she?) appeared with three of their young family. They were all climbing up and around the window, looking towards the nuts but not actually getting to them. I had greased the pole and the window ledge which they ( the young ones), disliked.
BUT, the Superman one climbed up the side of the window onto the stone wall of the house. He/she was some three feet above the window....it looked around and suddenly leapt from a standing position twisting around as it flew through the air and crashed into and above the Hawthorne 'hedge'. The gap was at least nine feet.
Instead of getting my gun I admit to admiring the animal. It had worked out everything I had tried to stop it doing. But not giving in, I decided to move the whole thing to another side of the house, which I did later. First though I cut all the grass with the tractor mower as I expected rain later ( I was right, it poured down) but got the grass cut OK.
Walking back to the house I saw the wired nut feeder lying on the driveway with both butterfly nuts unscrewed and the nuts all gone. Two days before I had filled the feeder ( and knowing how clever they were) made sure the wingnuts were as tight as I could make them...( previous knowledge pays dividens). Had the creature lifted the feeder off its hook? Never before in the seeven years it had been there.
Moving the feeder which was quite heavy with an oak post, I tripped on the way to the new location, wrenched my back and shoulder and dropped the whole lot. For the past day and a half I have been in agony and unable to do anything other that thinking............who wins??? The birds have no food until I repair the feeder, nor the animals, and I am making food as well as I can. Can't bend down, but everthing I handle falls to the floor so>>>>>>>>>>>
Should I have left the varmint to do as he liked?? What do you think????
Regarding my mentioning a gun, I love all animals. During my years in Africa I only shot for food when in the bush. I prefer the shots coming from my camera's. Take care all....oddjob

I want one outside my home.

This made me laugh.

Motor Racing

I have just been watching on television the Spanish Grand Prix and have come to the conclusion that the winning and losing is done in the pits with all the monitors and operators talking all the time to the drivers in the cars.

They are dealing in hundredths of a second, monitoring almost everything that is on the vehicle, the poor driver is just sitting there doing what they tell him. Yes, he does have to handle the car, and to do it at those speeds is very skilful I admit, but why can’t they try what I have thought of for quite a while which would bring more interest to the sport-----
Try just using Pit Boards as in the old days. Only use radios to tell the driver of any incidents on the actual circuit. When he feels the need for new tyres or for some other reason, he puts his hand up as he passes the Pit Board and they will expect him in at the following lap.
At the moment the Pit Lane are working to split seconds as to when he should come in for any reason.
This would make the whole race more exciting because the drivers would be competing against each other, rather that being automatons to their Masters on the Monitors.
Recently I was reading in the Daily Mail Newspaper that the subject of actions in the Pit Lanes were spoiling peoples interest in the sport. Maybe they could try my idea’s for a change. Do any others agree with me?
Years ago the drivers were actually driving their cars and I was an interested spectator, but not any longer.
Those of you who watch the present day s action will know what I mean when I mention “Foot Wagers”

Super Squirrel

Some years ago I was pestered with squirrels getting on the birds feeding table and demolishing the feed as well as chewing the wood surrounds. I cured the later by putting a metal strip, but the food was still taken.

As "Baldrick", the actor in that wonderful series on the TV, 'Blackadder' used to say " I have a CUNNING PLAN". I made a metal cowling, like those hats that Eastern people wear when planting rice and fitted it below the feeders. It was a success right from the start. The pest would climb up, but under the hood, they were unable to see the food and eventually left things alone. They still climbed, but were thwarted at each attempt.

This lasted for some seven years, yes, seven years, until a few weeks ago. I was at the kitchen window and saw one sitting on the top of the feeder looking at me. I think he waved to me.. on second thoughts it might have been a finger!!

I cut a load of prickly Hawthorne and draped it over the table. A little later he appeared and looked at it. You could see his brain working. He went down and then appeared in front of me on the window ledge. He bunched himself up and flew through the air onto the thorns, without any pause and he was on the nuts again.

I chased him off but later in the day he was back on the window ledge but instead of jumping off as before, he climbed up the post and reached out to a tiny piece of leaf jutting out beyond the disc. He jumped and held on with one paw, then pulled himself up to the top like a gymnast on the parallel bars. I gave up and left him to it...... BUT,.... I am now thinking of another "Cunning" plan, and will let you know as soon as possible with any result.