Thanks, Suzanne. I'm sure that's true, but I feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal. In this instance, despite obvious appreciation for the food they're finding, my appreciation has reached sanity-saving levels!
" like birds in murmuration, writing promises in the sky." My word, Elizabeth! Your words are poetry. Each bird deserves its special identity, so I am especially happy to see their names Capitalized. Thanks also for your gentle allegories of human-"what do I do now with the world?"-ism. (Sorry: I'll chirp out a more elegant phrase than that later!)
Stewart, this is an uplifting comment. Thank you! I have probably forgotten, in the past, to capitalize those names. I wonder what the karmic penalty is for that? I am now well and truly converted, so there is hope for my future!
There is no need for more elegance than you have already offered. It's always a pleasure to have you in the conversation.
Thank you, Mermaid. Good to see you here. I'm pleased to know you found and enjoyed the photos at the end. The accolades mostly go to the feeder's camera, but I can take a little credit for my diligence...er, obsession...with scrolling through what it sends and choosing to save the best of the best.
We lost our kitties too close together. It's been two years, and we're still not sure we're ready for a new round. I imagine that will change, Meanwhile, these birds!
Tree rats - ha! Poor squirrels. They are too crafty for our own good. In all honesty, though I've taken to flinging food around the yard to accommodate ground feeding birds like Mourning Doves and Juncos. So even though the squirrels can't break Weber grill code, they're still getting plenty to eat. I'm sure I'm going to regret this decision come gardening season. Rightness is a fragile thing!
Balancing on the wings of birds....such thoughts grew from your words...our balance is precarious and ever-changing, but isn't that what keeps us ever so alive?
I love that, Jill! And yes, life demands that we pay attention. Isn't it inspiring how our own creativity grows as we have opportunity to be among other creatives? That's surely one of the great benefits of Substack.
I am going to admit to having spent too long pondering the letter, unsure if the room was spinning as the words continued to move in and out of readability and logic. Such a clever pairing.... image and intro. And a clever allegory, yes, with such a playful voice. Impressive! I am curious what this Weber grill feeder looks like. (And I can't tell, really, if the petless status is new or an accumulation of time. If something happened recently, I am sorry. Pet losses are hard though, even after years.)
Smiling here, Amy. If you *knew* how long I spent trying to tweak the AI prompt to get the image I had in my mind's eye, you'd have all the evidence you need of my personal imbalance! In the end, I had to go with what was closest. Most were even worse than the one I chose, which I'm sure you can imagine.
As for the grill, picture a bluetooth-enabled bird feeder atop a narrow pole. Between the ground and the bottom of the feeder, insert a big black dome, the inverted bottom of the grill. It's far from attractive, but it gets the job done.
Two years ago, we went from three cats to none in 18 months. It was a good long run with them, until all of a sudden and for different reasons, it ended. We still miss them terribly.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I'm glad you found some of the playfulness I was aiming at.
Lovely tale. Many thanks, dear friend. Our feathered friends appreciate you, too.
Suzanne Todd
Thanks, Suzanne. I'm sure that's true, but I feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal. In this instance, despite obvious appreciation for the food they're finding, my appreciation has reached sanity-saving levels!
Great to see you here, my friend.
" like birds in murmuration, writing promises in the sky." My word, Elizabeth! Your words are poetry. Each bird deserves its special identity, so I am especially happy to see their names Capitalized. Thanks also for your gentle allegories of human-"what do I do now with the world?"-ism. (Sorry: I'll chirp out a more elegant phrase than that later!)
Stewart, this is an uplifting comment. Thank you! I have probably forgotten, in the past, to capitalize those names. I wonder what the karmic penalty is for that? I am now well and truly converted, so there is hope for my future!
There is no need for more elegance than you have already offered. It's always a pleasure to have you in the conversation.
Stunning photos. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. And sorry to hear about the kitties.
Thank you, Mermaid. Good to see you here. I'm pleased to know you found and enjoyed the photos at the end. The accolades mostly go to the feeder's camera, but I can take a little credit for my diligence...er, obsession...with scrolling through what it sends and choosing to save the best of the best.
We lost our kitties too close together. It's been two years, and we're still not sure we're ready for a new round. I imagine that will change, Meanwhile, these birds!
So eloquently you express my frustrations with tree rats!
Tree rats - ha! Poor squirrels. They are too crafty for our own good. In all honesty, though I've taken to flinging food around the yard to accommodate ground feeding birds like Mourning Doves and Juncos. So even though the squirrels can't break Weber grill code, they're still getting plenty to eat. I'm sure I'm going to regret this decision come gardening season. Rightness is a fragile thing!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Marcia.
Balancing on the wings of birds....such thoughts grew from your words...our balance is precarious and ever-changing, but isn't that what keeps us ever so alive?
I love that, Jill! And yes, life demands that we pay attention. Isn't it inspiring how our own creativity grows as we have opportunity to be among other creatives? That's surely one of the great benefits of Substack.
I wholeheartedly agree! Each connection strengthens and enhances creativity--now if I could only figure out substack myself!
I am going to admit to having spent too long pondering the letter, unsure if the room was spinning as the words continued to move in and out of readability and logic. Such a clever pairing.... image and intro. And a clever allegory, yes, with such a playful voice. Impressive! I am curious what this Weber grill feeder looks like. (And I can't tell, really, if the petless status is new or an accumulation of time. If something happened recently, I am sorry. Pet losses are hard though, even after years.)
Smiling here, Amy. If you *knew* how long I spent trying to tweak the AI prompt to get the image I had in my mind's eye, you'd have all the evidence you need of my personal imbalance! In the end, I had to go with what was closest. Most were even worse than the one I chose, which I'm sure you can imagine.
As for the grill, picture a bluetooth-enabled bird feeder atop a narrow pole. Between the ground and the bottom of the feeder, insert a big black dome, the inverted bottom of the grill. It's far from attractive, but it gets the job done.
Two years ago, we went from three cats to none in 18 months. It was a good long run with them, until all of a sudden and for different reasons, it ended. We still miss them terribly.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I'm glad you found some of the playfulness I was aiming at.
Balance. Aha. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? But no, the things that bring us peace are both simple AND complicated.
Always a pleasure to follow your rhythms and your prose.
J
The more I know, the more I know I don't know. You are right, Janice: few things are simple anymore, but some still offer a path to peace.
Always a pleasure for you to join the conversation. Thank you.
What a sweet piece and lovely photos.
To us all beaking up!!!
♥️🪶🪺
Thanks, Holly. I was a little too amused by that line. 😅