The first Thursday of the month is usually a slow day at SHARE, maybe 25 - 30 orders for food because people have gotten their SNAP benefits. As the month goes on the last Thursday is usually the busiest because that money has run out. Yesterday was horribly busy with 50 or 51 orders for food, mostly large families, a few one or two person households. The first Thursday is also when Jan places her order from the regional food bank and she said the list of available stuff was dismal. We expect it to get worse. But according to Holy Mike Johnson after Tuesday’s drubbing republicans are “delivering for the people” and they are “delighted to run on our record”. Yes, please do that. Keep doing that all the way to the midterms.
We’ve been adjusting to the fall back of time. Last week driving home from yoga in El Campo it was still daylight. This week it’s dark. Wednesday was awesome though. Coming back to Wharton I’m heading east and the full moon was rising big and beautiful, clear and detailed. I pulled over to take some pictures but my phone camera just doesn’t focus on the moon, or at least I don’t know how to make it do that, but here’s my attempt to show you what I was seeing.
Where are the birds? Where are the squirrels? All last winter, spring, and summer the birds emptied the bird feeder every day, the squirrels ate the handful of peanuts I put out. Every fall has been watching the birds tank up for winter but several weeks ago they just…are gone. It will take three or four days for the small bird feeder to empty but I never see any birds except for a few white wing doves now and then. The suet balls are being ignored as well. Where are the cardinals, the chickadees, the titmice, the wrens, the finches? My neighbor at the other end of the street says the same. I can understand the peanuts still out there, the squirrels have a veritable cornucopia of pecans available to them now but why have the birds disappeared?
The birds aren’t the only thing missing. Momcat has not showed up to eat eight days in a row. The three boys and now Ghost stay close to home though Lovey and Twin will cross the street to my house but Momcat was a roamer. She would follow me on occasion when I was walking the dog and I’ve seen her on occasion on the next street over and I’ve seen no sign of her little body in my various walks with the dog so we are thinking, hoping, someone has adopted that sweet friendly little cat and quite frankly I don’t want to hear any other outcome so consider that if you plan to comment on her disappearance. She has had shelter, food, water, and affection as a shop yard cat and it wasn’t unusual for her to not show up to eat at feeding time but never for this many days in a row so she must have found a new home.
My night to fix dinner and I have no idea what I’m going to make but here’s a picture from a previous meal sautéing shallots and celery. They just looked so pretty, that pale pink and pale green.
Things will get worse before they get better. The president acts like a spoiled child unwilling to consider any negotiation. Like trying to reason with a drunk.
ReplyDeleteAnd they have. That psychopath has ordered states to take back any monies they have already distributed.
DeleteCodex: The birds, maybe an early migration? Momcat is used to roaming, probably eating elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThese are year round residents. The warblers are migrants.
DeleteThe feet of the Republicans are now being held closer to the fire, and the heat is becoming uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteUnless the dems cave which 8 senators have done for a promise to discuss extending the tax credits which will not happen. Republicans lie.
DeleteI wonder what Mike Johnson believes he’s delivering to the people other than the shaft.
ReplyDeleteHe will say and do anything Trump tells him to do and say.
DeleteThat moon was lovely this week. When I woke in the night to go to the bathroom, I would peek through the blinds to see if I could spot it. So bright and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt was gorgeous! I get to see it rise like that several times during the winter when I'm coming home in the dark.
DeleteThat's weird about the birds - I hope Codex's explanation is the right one (but don't they migrate TO you all the way down in Texas?). I'll bet Momcat has landed in gravy and has a wonderful new home now.
ReplyDeleteAll except the warblers are year round residents. The chickadees and titmice should be stocking up their cache. They are usually coming and going all day at this time. And yeah, that's my hope for Momcat.
DeleteCodex: Here's a great interactive recent article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2025/oct/16/bird-migration-is-changing-what-does-this-reveal-about-our-planet-visualised-aoe
ReplyDeleteBirds are behaving weirdly lately. Was reading a bunch of blogs where they suddenly disappeared this year. Even Texas. I suspect they sense something we don't. Besides rainbows everywhere I have also noticed the biggest murmuring I have ever seen.
I know that some birds are moving into new territories like the white wing dove. I use to never see them until decades ago when they started showing up. Now they are abundant and have run off most of the smaller mourning doves.They were they last birds I saw at the feeder. A dozen or so would mob it with others waiting in the wings. Now they are gone too except for one or two. I did see a pair of cardinals yesterday but only once at the feeder.
DeleteI hope your mom cat has found a good home, now that the babies are independent.
ReplyDeleteBirds need food and when there's less food, they go elsewhere or die. And food is insects and plants.
The biggest and most conservative national Sunday papers here today reports on a guideline to staff issued by US Army headquarters in Germany on how to cope with the shut down and no pay, as a solution, they listed local food banks. No joke.
Me too. She was a very sweet kitty but could also be a bitch hissing at her sons when they would want to rub up on her affectionately. Usually at this time of year the chickadees and titmice are bombing the feeder storing up their cache for the winter. Not seeing any.
DeleteOdd about the birds. I thought our squirrels were missing in the spring, but eventually they showed up as usual and now we have plenty of them. Maybe the weather has been warm enough up north that the birds haven't come south yet?
ReplyDeleteYes, very odd. These are our year round residents that are a no show.
DeleteGiven a choice, the birds and squirrels always prefer what nature provides. This time of year, with acorns, cypress balls, and plant seeds of every sort ripening (not to mention pecans), the birds and squirrels are noshing on those things. November's always the month when my bluejays, chickadees, tufted titmice, and such disappear, and the squirrels are less interesting in the peanuts I put out for them. The whitewings still come by for white millet, but I can throw out a handful of shelled peanuts in the morning and they're still there are night, or mostly there. I still put out a bit of seed and peanuts for those who might be migrating or just passing by, but I don't think you have a thing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteFall has always been a busy time at the feeder especially the chickadees and titmice as they stock up their cache for the winter but I'm not seeing them at all. The squirrels have totally ignored the peanuts that have been out there for days. But that doesn't surprise me because...pecans.
DeleteLack of birds. Lack of everything, bugs, etc. I don't know maybe getting close to the Spike.
ReplyDeleteWe hit our peak and that's that. Downhill from here on out
DeleteThe disappearance of the birds is disturbing. No doubt about that. I haven't really been paying attention here. I know there are still plenty of doves. I need to go fill the feeder.
ReplyDeleteYes. MomCat has found a lovely new home with humans who adore her. I'm sure of that. Or else she'll show back up and you'll never know where she's been.
Why the Republicans think that cruelty is a good political look is beyond me.