I planted a man outside my living room window, a seven-foot tall stick figure with wavy, wiry hair. I found him at Mathy’s Garden Center and conscripted him to hold my new bird feeders. It wasn’t what he was designed for, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I still fill the old bird feeders, but they’re too far away from my window to get the best view. All my bird books are out on the coffee table, along with a pair of binoculars. Although the neighbors across the street probably think I’m perverted, I’m just trying to learn all the visitors’ names. So far I’m still very generic, warbler (very yellow on the belly, but kind of mottled about the head), hummingbird (green back), flycatcher, chickadee, finch, woodpecker (downy or hairy, I’m not sure). The juvenile cardinals look hilarious, with their half-mohawk style. Maybe by next year I’ll get this bird thing down. Or the neighbors will call the cops on me. Either way, it will be something learned.
Book news:
The Liam Rector book finally came today. I’m ready. Simic is technically perfect, I think, but not pulling me hard enough to dive in. Ferlinghetti is growing on me. Tom has borrowed all my Denis Johnson, fiction and poetry, along with the Anchor Book of Short Stories, and taken the lot to Kalamazoo. I’m happy with what he’s reading and at the same time hoping he finishes them up soon. I’ve grown attached to those books and hate to have them travel so. Children are the great appropriators of the trappings of their parents’ lives. So it goes.
3 comments:
Oh my God, that's the best idea. I can get binoculars to spy on my neighbors and tell them that I'm bird-watching. I could probably get rid of cable!
How ironic, I too have a wirey woman I call "Rita" that has been holding bird feeders in my garden for two years now. I bought her from the gay man that was my dad's neighbor. He used her to hang coats in his office even though she isn't meant for that. She has chain link hair. http://oursecretsout.blogspot.com/2006/11/this-is-my-beautiful-garden-and-im.html
If you look very closely you can see her to the right of me. She's painted a copper color. And having the birds in the garden has been great for bug control.
I haven't named my guy yet, but he's so cool! I'll come and check yours out. I just refilled the feeders and found two casualties, but I am becoming hardened to that. You do what you gotta do!
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