| "A longtime resident groundhog continues to "winter" under my low-to-the-ground deck since two, count 'em, two professional trappers failed in their $200-quests to catch-and-release the big, fat fellow somewhere in a more perfect world. (At least, this is what those guys promised they'd do.) Obviously, this is one lone groundhog who prefers slumbering through winter with a wooden roof (my deck) over his tunnel. I just hope his digging under there will not lead water where it shouldn't be." "Of course it will, so my solution may be to tear out the 20-year-old deck. It will cost less than more bogus trapping schemes, though a tree-trimmer working next door last summer saw the groundhog and advised not putting an apple in a humane trap. He said, "Groundhogs go wild for bananas." Really?" "I duly observed Groundhog Day on Friday by noting my boarder didn't bother to poke his button nose outside. He obviously scorned the notion of waking up in the middle of hibernation to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the sake of show biz. That cult film "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray back in 1993 drew attention to groundhogs as weather predictors, as bad as they are at the job. Other animals have gotten into the act over the centuries. I read that early Romans had Hedgehog Day, while Christians looked to wolves and bears for climate cues as part of a holiday known as Candlemas. I fervently hope none of those critters is heading to my back yard." "If four make a flock, then this bird sculpture from Pier 1 Imports qualifies; I saw the sculpture among "On Sale" items at " ". It's a cheerful reminder to clean out and refill any birdfeeders with high-fat, high-quality seeds. Mere breadcrumbs are not the right stuff to enable a flock of visiting birds in your yard to survive bitter-cold winter nights. With sub-zero weather due, put out the proper seeds or do nothing. Filling up birds with refined flour is harmful to them, and may prove deadly this next week." "The resin-cast bird lamp (or nightlight) is another cheerful addition to a child's playroom or nursery. The Thorsten van Elten Pigeon
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