Not our feeder. This one is no challenge to the vermin.
I looked out this morning to see a squirrel hanging upside down on our new squirrel proof bird feeder. Because it is designed to close under the weight of a squirrel, he eventually got frustrated and jumped to the ground I wondered how he got on it, but when I saw him try a vertical leap from the ground I think I may have figured it out. Time to raise the feeder.
Beloved has been engaged in squirrel wars for some time. This is our best feeder yet. At least for now. The birds were being terrorized and it is good to have them back. A yellow-rumped warbler has been visiting the past two days, the goldfinches are back, and a beautiful white-crowned sparrow was under the feeder this morning. I say “at least for now” because I suspect the squirrels have a cave near here with engineering diagrams, slide rules, and computers where they figure out how to thwart Beloved’s current scheme.
I’ve always thought birds were the great metaphor for grace: you can’t force them to come, you can only prepare yourself and sit in silent hope for them to come. If that is so what are the squirrels? Imps of Satan, I suspect.
Music on the Waters, my novella for Scarsdale Publishing’s Marriage Maker Series, finished at last, was sent off yesterday. I’m now working full time on the Bluestocking Belles 2018 box set. At least I don’t have as many blog posts due! I hope you caught all my blog visits last week. There were some good ones, especially these:
“Travel is My Muse” about how my travels have influenced my stories. There are pictures! https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/My-Muses-Name-Is-Travel-by-Caroline-Warfield
Captain Frederick Wheatly (The Reluctant Wife) had tea with the Duchess of Haverford. That woman has a way of keeping young men in line! https://judeknightauthor.com/2018/04/23/tea-with-fred/
For Joanne Guidoccio’s Second Act series, I wrote about change and why I believe doing nothing is often a bigger risk than stepping out with courage. https://joanneguidoccio.com/2018/04/30/take-a-leap/
I was rather pleased with my regular contribution to the Teatime Tattler, “Heard From Behind A Potted Fern,” in which an unscrupulous reporter overhears some rather nasty women gossiping about Fred’s daughters (The Reluctant Wife again). It is worth reading for the excerpt! http://bluestockingbelles.net/eavesdropping-behind-potted-fern/
Hopefully, this week will be quieter and I’ll make progress on my sequel to “Roses in Picardy”. (That was my story in Never Too Late, the 2017 Bluestocking Belles box set.) It could happen! But first, coffee