The Convivial Gist

Our cat Pinay was traumatized the  last time she was out "unsupervised" on our deck. She slipped out of the kitchen door and was out for 2 hours; it was late at night and raining. Only when we were about to go to sleep  when we realized she was not on her usual spot in our bed.   Well, she learned her lesson well and would not even put a single paw on the transition strip of our kitchen storm door.  But the call of her predatory instinct finally made Pinay  venture again on our deck. I guess she was just plain tired of watching the avian and rodent community having all the fun on our backyard that she wants some piece of the action.   The thing is, she had been confined and modified to be a domesticated animal for the last 5 years that she does not know that she is supposed to chase the sparrows and grackles and  anything that moves on that deck.  I think its the greatest indignity that a pet owner like me can inflict on Pinay. P...

Two weekends ago me and my husband got 2 bird feeders, a tubular kind and touted to be squirrel free.  From his home office ( alternating as our formal dining table when he decides to stop working) he has the view of the bird feeders and he thinks its time for us to enjoy and explore the science of ornithology. We did not expect that we would  also be  reeled  in the science of Sciuridae. Those rodents have more fun eating the seeds than for whom it was originally intended for i.e the birds. This outraged my husband. Squirrels are very patient, intelligent, conniving and insulting animals ( according to my bitter half - relative to the squirrel issue).  My husband tried bells, moving the locations of  the feeders about 18 times a day, slathering the cords and poles with motor oil and cooking oil, clearing the deck of my spider hanging plants (the rodents use these as their launching pads); and spiking strategic parts of our trellis with nails.  Sad to say, if  squirrels can give humans...