About a week before we got our first low temperature, my hummingbirds were gone. This also coincided, of course, with the day I had thoroughly cleaned, made new nectar and refilled both feeders. I am constantly amazed at how Nature sends out these warning vibes and how very sensitive to nuances birds and other migrating beings are. When the hummers disappear, it's always a good thing to remove their feeders, as that is a sign that it's bear season. I've already had my feeders turned into origami, thank you.
This weekend, I went apple picking at my second-favorite orchard. Why not my very favorite? No apples. It was a tough spring this year (and tough summer), and the too-warm-too-early weather forced the blooming of apple blossoms, which were then hit with a hard freeze. My FO (favorite orchard) lost most of their apples. My SFO is further south, in Massachusetts, and their trees were laden. I was awestruck at the average size of the apples - almost the size of a grapefruit! When I mentioned this to the nice ladies in the store, they were all, "Oh, isn't it lovely? Isn't it wonderful?" And I was all, "No, I'm getting fewer apples. Large ain't always better." I didn't really say 'ain't' 'cause it ain't a word.
Which got me thinking about our love affair in this country with BIGNESS. Super-size, McMansions, giant SUVs, huge quantities of food, things, the list goes on and on. Really, now, do we need to house a family of three in a 12,000 square foot house? Do you need that 7 mpg gas-guzzler for shuttling your 8 year old to fencing practice? If you pay 7.95 for dinner, should the food be mounded up and hanging off your plate in order to be considered "worth the price"? No to all of it. All this BIGNESS is piggy-backed on this inane sense of entitlement that seems to be afflicting the populace. And I don't even want to run up that flag. (Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.) I swear, some days (like most), it seems as if this country has lost its collective mind.
On to the next musing, before I pop a blood vessel. I am trying to figure out why I am not disturbed by the metallic cacophony of the Guineas. Me - the person who gave the heave-ho to the turkeys and quail because they drove me crazy. Do these prehistoric fowl have me bewitched? Nope. It's just an oddity. I find them endlessly fascinating. They are so un-chicken-like. They travel in a tight wad - no one is left behind. If someone (naming no names, Lonesome George) IS left behind, there is endless panic and calling, and carrying-on until the tribe is united. Alas, I believe puberty is setting in, as there have been scuffles within the clan. I am always sad when everyone doesn't get along. So, obviously, I am sad alot. Which is why I do not read a newspaper, have television and mostly ignore any news source.
9 comments:
I'm still wondering why anyone would keep guineas. I've heard so many horror stories, mostly from my neighbors. When we first move here, their guineas wandered into our yard a lot (we didn't have any livestock at that time) and I kind'a liked seeing them pecking around. Until like the third day when they would come and do their sqwak-sqwaking ALL day. I'd run out of the house screaming "shut up all ready!!!"
But if they do it for you, I'm glad. Just don't bring them with if you come a visiting :)
Highly entertaining Monday Musings as usual.
And when you do finally decide (as any sane person would [apologies to Jane also]) that the guineas have pushed you over the edge, don't put them all in a box and send them to me. Or Carolyn.
CR - Even if I WOULD try to sneak them over (and I wouldn't, honest), you would be able to hear me coming. I look at it this way - NOTHING will sneak up on me, real or imagined.
Mama Pea - How about this? If they push me over the edge, I will leave them here and put MYSELF in a box to Minnie-soda???
I think that's one of things that suprised me most growing my own veggies. The size. Most (not all) veggies are smaller than their grocery store siblings.
But just you taking about a fresh picked apple...Oh yum!
The nieghbor lady has guinneas and I can hear them all the way to my house.. 1/4 mile.. They are a busy noisy group.. Glad they are at her house and not mine.
My hummingbirds this year enjoyed the feeders of sugar water of course and they also enjoyed eating grape jelly. I feed the Orioles grape jelly and the hummingbirds did too. It was fun to watch them set on the side of the bowl and eat.. slurp slurp~!
ta ta for now from Iowa:)
I'm with you on the bigness thing. Not so much with the un-chickens. They make good story fodder, though.
I agree about the U.S.'s "bigger is better mentality". It's based on a lack of self worth I think- "I'm not good enough without...." fill in the blanks. No spiritual sense of self just "stuff oriented"....
The one that makes my eyes bulge out is the size of fast food soft drinks these days, holy cow! I couldn't drink that much in a week LOL!
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