Oh no. . . . .

the Starlings are back! I know I should be grateful for all God's creatures, but there are a few I could just as well do without. For starters, snakes and spiders and most everything creepy-crawly. I don't mind fireflies and fuzzy caterpillars, but all the other bugs and slithery creatures give me the eebie jeebies.
As for birds, I'm usually a lover of all things feathered. I have several feeders all throughout my yard and bird houses nailed to posts and hanging in the trees. I love watching my birds, with the exception of Buzzards, loud-mouthed Crows and pesky Starlings!
Did you know a Buzzard's natural defense against predators is to throw up all over them? Totally gross! If you were to stand underneath a tree where a Buzzard was perched and he thought of you as a threat, he would regurgitate his roadkill breakfast all down upon you. Ick. And why in the world do Crows think they have to caw all the time, day or night? Do they really think what they have to say is so important? Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! If I had a b-b gun, I'd give them something to caw about!
This morning as I stood at the kitchen sink, looking out the window, I noticed a grouping of Starlings were already out at my feeders bothering my other birds. It's a little early for them, but I guess our lack of Winter has brought them out for an early Spring. I watched as about six or seven of them wreaked havoc on my feeders near the Bluebird house. In fact, one of the spotted nuisances actually entered the Bluebird house and started tearing the nest apart. Hopefully there weren't any Bluebirds in residence already. The Starling was grabbing beak fulls of nest and throwing it out of the house. Bratty brat!
As the other Starlings all descended on the bird feeders, scattering seed everywhere with their greediness, my other birds were having a nervous fit. Two Turtle Doves were pacing back and forth anxiously on the wire above the boxes and my favorite Woodpecker was squawking down to them from high up the hack berry tree.
The Starlings are just awful nuisances! They are messy and mean and make the most irritating warbling sound constantly. They get up in the gutters early in the mornings and make the most awful racket, searching for bugs and worms and who knows what else. And there's never just one Starling, they always travel in great big flocks. I wish there was some way to get rid of them!
If anyone has any ideas on how I can rid my yard of these sorry Starlings, please let me know. I have a feeling it's going to be a long and loud Spring!

XOXO

Today is a day of love. Years of memories past and hope for many more to come. Love songs running through my head, one by one, each with a special meaning, tied to a special moment. My heart bursts with love for you, forever and always, My Special Valentine.

Old Man Winter Retires

I think Old Man Winter has given up on us here in Tennessee this year. He's either gone into early retirement, or he's too busy bringing all that snow and Winter weather to all those poor folks in Alaska to worry with us. I for one am sorry to see that he's apparently looked us over. Here we are at the first of February already and we've only had two single days of snow. Those two days shouldn't really count because if you'd have blinked, you'd have missed the snow anyway! He barely gave us a dusting and it was gone in mere hours.

This morning on my way into work, I spotted clumps of daffodils already peeking their golden heads out in neighboring yards. I saw all the Canadian honkers on Tim McGraw's pond were already back too, which means we'll probably see some downy-headed goslings earlier than usual this year. My pansies are still blooming in my pots on the porch and haven't stopped since last Summer! I've never held onto them that long into another season. Our grass is still green and my donkeys haven't grown nearly as furry coats as they have in Winter's past. With all this warm rain we've been having, I wouldn't be surprised to see the early frogs and turtles playing in the mud puddles on the sides of the roads!

It's just not right! We should be having frost sparkling on the grass in the mornings and icicles hanging from the eaves. I want snow carpeting my yard and capping all the fence posts. Our dog Tubby just loves rolling around and dragging his belly across the snow. He'd stay out there and play for hours if we'd let him, but this year all we've had is one brief day with enough snow for him to get excited about, and later that same day it was all melted away.

Come on Old Man Winter! Please grace us with your arctic presence and bless us with some snowy white wonder. Puff up those billowy cheeks of yours and blow some glacial winds our way! Turn this rain into big, fluffy, magical snowflakes falling down all around us so we can put on our warm coats, hats and fuzzy scarves and gloves and enjoy all that Winter is supposed to be!