Oh Good! My bird is here...

Oh good. My bird is here. He cleans all the bugs from around the windows outside, working his way around the house. Works for food too. Love him. If you don't have a bird, you must get one...

My bird is kinda different looking. I don't know what sort he is. He is light brown with smallish darker brown spots and has a very long beak which helps him in his work. He comes every day while I'm here typing away. I know he's here when he begins tapping around the back doors. Sometimes if I'm very quiet I can see him for just a second. Then he comes and sits on the climbing rose which scrapes, not in an unpleasant way, across the window next to my desk.

If I try to peak at him though these blinds, he flies away, so I don't interrupt. He does not want accolades. He's very humble, humble and efficient. I would like to give him a name, but haven't thought of any that fit. We get a lot of birds around my place, but he's my favorite. Pancake, our dog, has never been up in time to meet him. Pancake is a night owl. It drives us crazy. He keeps everyone up past their bedtime, but that's another story altogether.

Once a whole congregation of geese gathered for a loud conference on my roof. Boy was that loud! It scared me until I figured out who they were. They must have been making plans to clean out the ponds. The aquatic vegetation can get quite overgrown and we have to have large groups of geese fly in to take care of the situation when it arises. They are very organized about the whole operation. They always send in the appropriate number flying in a V shaped formation. They disturbed Pancake during his nap and it was a long time before he'd pipe down about it.

We get many robins. I think they are curious birds because they come to watch on a fence post while you plant the garden or read a book in the swings. I like them, they just keep one company. Baby l loves to hop after them and they never mind a little baby sitting.

I loathe the magpies, crows and California gulls, (see the following incident http://loveboxes.blogspot.com/search?q=seagull) but we must have a clean up crew on hand. But, never feed them! They are very dirty and it only encourages their bad behavior.
The seagulls actually poop on the sidewalk at The Church. It's not attractive and last summer it caused a lot of gossip and frankly quite a great scandal. The crows are just creepy and there are always so many. My neighbor Jake and I think they might dive bomb us one of these days and we prefer to stay in when they are out. I don't know about Jake, but I'd rather visit with birds on more of a one on one basis. Pancake is secretly afraid of them but walks bravely down the sidewalk as if they're not there just to show how brave he is. We know better...

Bluebirds are my great love! I used to see them on my walks in the morning almost every day. Bluebirds are terribly shy, so you see just a flash of heavenly shades of turquoise. It's very good luck. I am anxious to see them again in the spring. Their only job is to be beautiful.

We have a few other friends that we love. Our neighbor Tiger the cat is codependent on his family, very weird for a cat. He cries for his people if he's not with them. He's orange and very cute. He once sat for a portrait with Pancake which was entered in the Reflections contest. Tiger is the only cat Pancake enjoys an association with. Pancake says Tiger is such a good cat, he's really almost a dog.

Katie the dog is one of our favorite neighbors. She has the lovable face of a teddy bear. She reminds me of the nursemaid in Peter Pan. She is as big as a Buick and will sit on your feet so that you can't move and must continue to pet her. She is sweet, but not gentle, a very enthusiastic greeter. Once my daughter and I were on our way to lessons, c opened the car door to say hello and I instantly had a face and lap full of dog. Our car is too small for Katie we decided. Katie walks 2 miles everyday, which is exhausting, so the only thing you can really hire her for is holding down rugs that could blow away in a slight breeze or similar chore because she really needs to nap the rest of the day.

Our next door dog Bella is so elegant, but she isn't interested in any of the trappings of posh society. She is always on duty. She marches the length of the fence and back again hour after hour. It seems the mice are always planning an attack and Bella is no nonsense. They will never outsmart her. She will discover them in their devious planning every time. She gives dogs five times her size their marching orders, but is always appropriately polite to those who outrank her.

Peeka used to be the neighborhood greeter, but she so old and has such terrible allergies these days. You should hear her sneeze!

We have a good mouser that often pays a working visit. She is disinterested, black, sophisticated and arrogant. She knows how good she is. We suspect that she once lived in the city. She is willing to make a daily inspection for bartered porch naps in the afternoon sun. Pancake doesn't like her, and complains under his breath every time she comes. He swears that she sticks her tongue out at him. We tell him to keep quiet and ignore his protests since her work is so very important. Without her, we'd simply have to relocate.

I am so grateful for good service. It's encouraging that one can still get such good and useful help these days.