Random Thoughts 15: Crystal Clear 2021 Edition

[VeloClone]

Also spied a creepy looking albino gray squirrel. Damn, it was really rat like and seeing it up close was not as cool as I thought.

We have a couple of white squirrels in our neighborhood.

You will appreciate the latest in my tree rat saga.

I have a tube bird feeder. I used to have a plastic one, but they figured out that they could chew through the cord I had to hang it from the tree and then they chewed it up on the ground. So I got a metal one and hung it from a wire. That worked for about a year or so then I caught them sliding down the wire and hanging on the side of the feeder to eat. So I put a CD on the wire at the top of the feeder. That worked for a couple of years. Last time I filled it I noticed that the CD had a chunk knocked out of it by the hole in the middle. That was the first sign that a squirrel had now penetrated my squirrel defense. I filled it on Sunday and by yesterday it was already 1/3 empty. By last night the CD was gone and I caught one hanging on the side of the feeder. I will probably put another CD or something larger on the wire again, but since he figured it out it is not likely to work. If that doesn't work I'm thinking about hiring Rocket to blast any squirrel that comes near.

 

[Thorongil Clone]

We have a couple of white squirrels in our neighborhood.

You will appreciate the latest in my tree rat saga.

I have a tube bird feeder. I used to have a plastic one, but they figured out that they could chew through the cord I had to hang it from the tree and then they chewed it up on the ground. So I got a metal one and hung it from a wire. That worked for about a year or so then I caught them sliding down the wire and hanging on the side of the feeder to eat. So I put a CD on the wire at the top of the feeder. That worked for a couple of years. Last time I filled it I noticed that the CD had a chunk knocked out of it by the hole in the middle. That was the first sign that a squirrel had now penetrated my squirrel defense. I filled it on Sunday and by yesterday it was already 1/3 empty. By last night the CD was gone and I caught one hanging on the side of the feeder. I will probably put another CD or something larger on the wire again, but since he figured it out it is not likely to work. If that doesn't work I'm thinking about hiring Rocket to blast any squirrel that comes near.

View attachment 88470

Get a Squirrel Buster feeder. It worked for us. The squirrels can get on it, but if it is installed correctly it just pulls the outside of it down shuttering the feeding ports!

 

[VeloClone]

Get a Squirrel Buster feeder. It worked for us. The squirrels can get on it, but if it is installed correctly it just pulls the outside of it down shuttering the feeding ports!

Are the openings big enough for larger birds (e.g. cardinals) as well as the smaller finches and wrens?

 

[Thorongil Clone]

Are the openings big enough for larger birds (e.g. cardinals) as well as the smaller finches and wrens?

Yeah. We have birds larger than cardinals that have used it (some woodpeckers). And lots of house finches and a wren or two hitting it as well.

 

[VeloClone]

Yeah. We have birds larger than cardinals that have used it (some woodpeckers). And lots of house finches and a wren or two hitting it as well.

I'll probably do that then. I think I can convert this feeder into a thistle seed feeder so the squirrels won't be able to get anything out of it.

Thanks for the info!

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Life with toddlers. LOL

They definitely force you to change your vernacular, as they repeat every bloody thing you say. Usually in awkward places, and as loudly as possible...

 

[Thorongil Clone]

I'll probably do that then. I think I can convert this feeder into a thistle seed feeder so the squirrels won't be able to get anything out of it.

Thanks for the info!

I can't guarantee it will work, of course, but it has put off the squirrels that were bothering our feeder. There was one time the feeder was knocked down from where we hung it, but it wasn't damaged, and I secured it better in case the squirrels want to do pullups on it.

 

[VeloClone]

They definitely force you to change your vernacular, as they repeat every bloody thing you say. Usually in awkward places, and as loudly as possible...

When my brothers and sisters where all very little and I wasn't even a twinkle in my father's eye my mom used to share duties with another mom of a passel of little ones. About one day a week she would have all of hers and all of the other mom's for the day and another day the other mom would take them all. One of the other little boys absolutely loved trucks and would point and yell at every truck he saw as they drove around with the windows down since this was the '60s and our cars didn't have air conditioning. The problem was the boy couldn't make the "tr" sound so he substituted the "f" sound instead. My mom realized much to her chagrin that there were a hell of a lot of trucks driving around.

 

[BoxsterCy]

I feel like NC SC VA all have some Charleston Charlotte Columbia and I can never keep straight which is which, poophead.

Life with toddlers. LOL

Got some really bad news on a contract early on a Monday once at work. Said something like "Ah, well poop." Contracting officer, ex-Army, pooped her head up over the cubicle partition and asked "Poop?" and laughed. She was expected an f-bomb from me. I explained my language filter was still on after being around grand nephews that weekend.

 

[BCClone]

We have a couple of white squirrels in our neighborhood.

You will appreciate the latest in my tree rat saga.

I have a tube bird feeder. I used to have a plastic one, but they figured out that they could chew through the cord I had to hang it from the tree and then they chewed it up on the ground. So I got a metal one and hung it from a wire. That worked for about a year or so then I caught them sliding down the wire and hanging on the side of the feeder to eat. So I put a CD on the wire at the top of the feeder. That worked for a couple of years. Last time I filled it I noticed that the CD had a chunk knocked out of it by the hole in the middle. That was the first sign that a squirrel had now penetrated my squirrel defense. I filled it on Sunday and by yesterday it was already 1/3 empty. By last night the CD was gone and I caught one hanging on the side of the feeder. I will probably put another CD or something larger on the wire again, but since he figured it out it is not likely to work. If that doesn't work I'm thinking about hiring Rocket to blast any squirrel that comes near.

View attachment 88470

Hook john randall up to the wire.

 

[VeloClone]

Hook john randall up to the wire.

View attachment 88477

I have actually contemplated electrifying it but I'm sure Mrs. Velo would like me to be more productive on other projects than the tree rat war.

 

[wxman1]

Got some really bad news on a contract early on a Monday once at work. Said something like "Ah, well poop." Contracting officer, ex-Army, pooped her head up over the cubicle partition and asked "Poop?" and laughed. She was expected an f-bomb from me. I explained my language filter was still on after being around grand nephews that weekend.

Speaking of Army officers. I have never understood the use of "alibi" for "any go-backs?" in meetings.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Yeah. We have birds larger than cardinals that have used it (some woodpeckers). And lots of house finches and a wren or two hitting it as well.

My sister that we were just visiting in Washington has "squirrel proof" feeders in her heavily wooded back yard. Sadly, they are NOT bear proof. A sow with one cub wandered through several weeks ago, and tore everything they had down. When they replaced the feeders, they got into the habit of taking them down at night. We went on a dinner cruise on Lake Washington while we were there, and didn't get home until somewhere upwards of 11.30p...too late. Two of the feeders were damaged; one was torn off a branch, and the other was on a shepherd's hook that is now bent beyond recognition.

It could have been worse; a friend of hers that lives about a half mile away sent her images from his trail cam that had images of three cougars walking toward the camera (probably a female & two juveniles).

 

[BCClone]

@ImJustKCClone You been hanging around zoos??


Headline from an email I received. People magazine.

Belgian woman banned from zoo after 4-year 'affair' with chimpanzee

 

[BCClone]

My sister that we were just visiting in Washington has "squirrel proof" feeders in her heavily wooded back yard. Sadly, they are NOT bear proof. A sow with one cub wandered through several weeks ago, and tore everything they had down. When they replaced the feeders, they got into the habit of taking them down at night. We went on a dinner cruise on Lake Washington while we were there, and didn't get home until somewhere upwards of 11.30p...too late. Two of the feeders were damaged; one was torn off a branch, and the other was on a shepherd's hook that is now bent beyond recognition.

It could have been worse; a friend of hers that lives about a half mile away sent her images from his trail cam that had images of three cougars walking toward the camera (probably a female & two juveniles).

Like this?

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Like this?

View attachment 88481

Nope. Not even close. YOU go out and pet those kitties. I DARE you!

 

[BCClone]

Nope. Not even close. YOU go out and pet those kitties. I DARE you!

The ones I posted or the ones you talked about. Not sure which is more dangerous for me.

 

[VeloClone]

@ImJustKCClone You been hanging around zoos??


Headline from an email I received. People magazine.

Belgian woman banned from zoo after 4-year 'affair' with chimpanzee

To be fair, the affair consisted of blowing kisses and waving. The problem is it is constant so the chimp isn't interacting with the other chimps.

Belgian Woman Banned from Zoo After 4-Year 'Affair' with Chimpanzee

Adie Timmermans is banned from coming in contact with a chimpanzee at the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium after developing a close bond with the primate over several years

people.com

Caution, KC What is really disturbing is the reps from the zoo refer to chimpanzees as "monkeys". I'm hoping this is just a translation error.

 

[jcyclonee]

When my brothers and sisters where all very little and I wasn't even a twinkle in my father's eye my mom used to share duties with another mom of a passel of little ones. About one day a week she would have all of hers and all of the other mom's for the day and another day the other mom would take them all. One of the other little boys absolutely loved trucks and would point and yell at every truck he saw as they drove around with the windows down since this was the '60s and our cars didn't have air conditioning. The problem was the boy couldn't make the "tr" sound so he substituted the "f" sound instead. My mom realized much to her chagrin that there were a hell of a lot of trucks driving around.

I evidently had that issue when I was a wee lad. Also, I evidently loved fire trucks so it was a big issue when I saw one and repeatedly shouted "fire f***".

 

[jcyclonee]

They definitely force you to change your vernacular, as they repeat every bloody thing you say. Usually in awkward places, and as loudly as possible...

For whatever reason, cussing wasn't a big issue for me when the kids were younger. Now that they are older, the naughty words slip out a bit more often.