Bye-Bye Birdfeeder...

Well, it looks like I'll have to say goodbye to the birdfeeder. I actually really enjoyed having it. I got to watch the birds up close, and I felt like I was doing something good by feeding them. (Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch??) Alas, I guess all good things must come to an end. The birdfeeder got a little out of control...

Exhibit A: The back porch belonging to the mean old man (aka my neighbor) who lives below me. Apparently birds are quite messy eaters. I have no idea how this is even possible, but there were birdseeds literally covering his back porch and grill. Exhibit B: The squirrels began eating the deck. I wanted to feed the birds, yes. But feed the squirrels? No. They started coming in droves and eating the dropped seeds off the deck, which I was not happy about, but could live with. Then they started eating the actual deck. Not okay guys.

The squirrels left their nasty footprints on my incredibly dusty grill. (Haven't used the grill since I moved in.) The dust alone isn't cool, but nasty squirrel footprints are even worse. Before taking it down, I had to get some pictures of the birds coming to eat.

Some little guys eating the seeds the bigger birds dropped... probably before they took the mouthfulls down to my old man neighbor's porch.

Exhibit C: The ridiculous number of birds that began visiting the feeder. I couldn't get close enough without scaring them away, so you can't really see that there were 4 birds on the feeder, 3 birds on the porch, and another 3 waiting their turn in the tree... ...That is until a huge blue bird scared some of them away. (Wish he worked on the squirrels.)

Exhibit D: Nasty squirrel caught in the act! Squirrels are rodents. They are disgusting. I totally agree with Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City when she says: "You can't be friends with a squirrel! A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit." Amen, sister!

Seriously? The number of wild animals on my back porch began to feel a bit Noah's Ark-ish. Not to worry. I can train my big mean guard dog to bark at the squirrels and scare them away, right?

Wrong. Lucy couldn't care less about the rodents overtaking her patio. I even gave her the "watch" command. All she did was turn her head, look at the squirrel, sigh, and lay her head back down. Way to go, Luc.

All of this to say, the birdfeeder had to go. It will soon be enjoying its new home on my parent's back porch where there is no wooden deck for the squirrels to eat, and no mean old man living below them spoiling their fun. Enjoy it, mom and dad.

Next purchase? A hummingbird feeder.