A Very Determined Squirrel

We have an abundance of squirrels in our neighborhood since we have two large oak trees in our yard providing acorns plus neighbors on both sides of us with bird and SQUIRREL feeders.

We feed birds and enjoy watching their antics.  The yellow and black finches are our favorites and we sit on our deck and watch them on the cylinder bird feeder.  We also have a suet feeder, a hummingbird feeder and our newest purchase a decorative feeder that attracts smaller birds.  What falls onto the ground is dinner for the mourning doves, cardinals and robins, plus an assortment of little brown birds that seem to come and go in flocks.  So far the fat little hummingbird feeder hasn’t had any visitors.

But we have a problem with the MANY squirrels climbing onto the previous feeders and basically chewing them to pieces.  This new metal feeder seemed to be squirrel-proof.  It hangs on a 5’ long metal rod attached to the tree limb by a chain and is 6’ from the ground.

This morning I looked out of the kitchen window and saw…..a SQUIRREL hanging on our new feeder upside down, enjoying the corn, saffron and sunflower seeds. I don’t know how he/she managed to get onto the feeder….my thought is that it was investigating the new feeder,  tried to hold onto the metal rod and accidentally slid down to the feeder.   If animals can think to themselves, this squirrel’s first thought was probably  “whoops”.

After taking some photos, I went to find Ken to show him our visitor.  But by the time he came into the kitchen the squirrel was gone.  I am really disappointed that I didn’t see how he got off the feeder…couldn’t climb up the skinny little rod, was too far from the tree trunk to leap, so the only alternative was to drop onto the ground.   

For once I don’t begrudge a squirrel stealing food from the bird feeder….it provided me with a nice morning's entertainment.

Mom Raised Me Right...Thanks Mom!

I was RAISED - I didn't just grow up.

I was taught to speak when I enter a room, say please & thank you, to have respect for my elders, lend a helping hand to those in need, hold the door for the person behind me, say excuse me when it's needed, and to love people for who they are, not for what you can get from them! 

I was also taught to treat people the way I want to be treated! 

If you were raised this way too, re-post this. Sadly, many won't, because they weren't, and it shows~

(This is a family photo our daughter Christine and her family.  Husband David and sons Mason, Connor and Hayden)

Win Prizes at a Carnival or Fair

You CAN win at a Carnival Game

Try these hints at your next visit to the State Fair or carnival.....up your chances against the carnival's odds!  You are aware that many of them are "fixed" in favor of the carnival...right?  They are there to bring in money....not to send you home happily carrying a stuffed animal or plastic bag with a live goldfish in it.

Balloon Dart Throw

The balloons are under-inflated, and the dart tips are dull. Don’t hurl the darts straight for the balloons, loft them in an arc for a better chance. Most people aim for the middle, so the game operators will often hide the "good prize" tags behind balloons on the outside edges.

Milk Bottle Throw

The bottles used in this carnival game are often made with leaded glasses making them very heavy. The secret to winning the milk bottle throw is to aim at the base of the bottom two containers rather then at the intersection of all three bottles.

BasketBall Free-Throw

The basketball is over-inflated, the hoop is smaller than regulation size and often an oval shape rather than circular. The backboard is made of plywood and is very bouncy.   Do not try to rebound the shot. Use a high arc underhanded granny shot.  Ever wonder why so many kids end up with a prize?  Underhanded granny toss.

Milk Can Toss 
Aim for the back of the rim and toss the ball underhanded by gripping the ball on top. Give the ball some backspin as you release it give a little flick of the wrist so the ball starts spinning backwards in the air.  The ball will hit the back rim and the backspin will dump it into the milk can.

Test of Strength…the King of Carnival games
The object is to hit a pad with a mallet and ring a bell.  To “win” aim for the center of the pad. Remember, the center of the pad is the sweet spot. Make sure the face of the mallet hits the pad squarely. Swing the mallet like you were splitting wood.  Have your strongest hand towards the head of the mallet and your weaker hand as close to the handle edge as possible.  Bring the mallet up and over your head and as you swing down your strong hand will slide down towards the end of the handle.  This gives you more control and balance.

Water Guns / Balloon Races 
First clue:  Some guns have better water flow then others, some targets are more sensitive then others, and some compressors have better airflow then others.  The only way to know for sure is to observe a lot of games and see which ones win more often.  

Second clue:  Make friends with  the carnival worker, he can almost assuredly tell you which stations were most likely to take home the prize.