For Me? You Shouldn't Have

I had a problem...

Sneaky Smokey Joe, hidden in the garden was systematically picking off song birds as they pecked at the bird feeder (in a tree), unaware of danger.
The solution was to move the feeder to under the arbor.

I had another problem...
The squirrels now discovered that if they chewed through the cord, they could drop it to the ground on the patio and clean it out in a matter of minutes.
The solution was to feed the squirrels, so they weren't so hungry. Right?

The next problem...
After putting critter food out in a bowl in the yard I noticed that Marley was now gorging himself on peanuts and dried corn.
I was running out of solutions.

I went in search of a (dog-proof) squirrel feeder.

Knowing that feeding the critters is not the most popular past-time in the neighborhood, and I met with all the expected resistance associated with finding a feeder too. But I emerged triumphant from McGuckins Hardware store on Sunday morning and went straight home to secure it, then fill it.



"For Me? You shouldn't have! But I'm glad you did."




"It's great! I love it! Now just tell me... how do I get the food out?"

Actually this little guy was at the feeder before I had even moved 3 feet out of the way. It took him maybe 5 minutes to work out that he had to stand on the front, then lift the lid. He spent the next 4 hours practicing this. At first eating as much as he could, as fast as he could. Later he was found to be taking his time and only picking out his favorite nuts and seeds!