Why We Can’t Have Nice Things – Day 208

Photo: L. Weikel

Why We Can’t Have Nice Things                         

You’ve heard this before.

When rogue elements anywhere ruin it for everybody, that’s the refrain. “This is why we can’t have nice things.”

And that’s precisely how I’m feeling about the wildlife on our property.

Somebody – some “body” – ruined it for everyone.

We recently received a cool new feeder from Karl’s sister, Francine. The way in which it assembles and disassembles allows a solid cylinder of bird food to be mounted on a central post. The seeds are held together with some kind of a sticky substance and it takes the birds a while – usually a good month – to gnaw (or more accurately peck) away at it.

Photo: L. Weikel

Although perhaps ‘gnaw’ is not as inaccurate as I’d like.

And from the looks of things, it appears birds are not the only ones frequenting the feeders – especially the new ones. Not only is the aforementioned cylinder feeder new, so is the accordion-like coil dispenser for peanuts, which the blue jays, woodpeckers, and fish crows have been working on mastering all week.

But now – I don’t know.

See for yourself the appalling manners exercised by some “body.” (And apparently a heavy body, at that, looking at the arc of that wrought iron pole.)

That’s why we can’t have nice things. Somebody has to get greedy and ruin it for everyone.

All things considered? My bets are on Raccoons. (Although I know for sure that deer have been standing around the other feeders – not shown – and literally sucking the seeds out of them as if they’re Pez dispensers.)

Now I just have to decide whether to give them another chance.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-903)