Many of you may recall that I feed the blue jays. My Number One Goal was to get a blue jay to take a peanut out of my hand. It never happened, but that's okay. Every morning I feed raw peanuts in the shell to a dozen blue jays on my porch and it's wonderful. I sit on my couch and my cats lie at the door and watch while all of them swoop in and out. Of course, there's far more to it than just that, as there is to so many seemingly simple things in my life. I take what should be an Easy, Joyful Thing and find a way to Make It Worky.
It never starts out that way. It starts out simple and innocent and easy. Then I read something and talk to someone and then read some more and pretty soon it becomes a Whole Production in which I involve others.
At one point my brother informed me that he discovered blue jays taking eggshells out of his compost. "You should try giving your blue jays some eggshells," he said. I could not google it fast enough. Rick takes a hardboiled egg every day in his lunch. He now peels it with utmost care; my blue jays prefer large pieces of shell. Sam, my son who comes here for lunch, also peels eggs with gentle precision For My Blue Jays.
Not long ago, some particularly shitful squirrels began invading my porch during Blue Jay Breakfast Buffet. They were shameless and greedy. They took over both peanut pedestals and peed all over the place. I couldn't have that. In a burst of frustration, I sent Marlowe out the front door with a command. "Get 'em! Get those squirrels!" Marlowe ran right out and did her job. Then she installed herself at the porch post, waiting. A few blue jays swooped in; Marlowe merely looked at them. When a squirrel came up, she pounced at it. I was thrilled.
Unfortunately, Marlowe has since been fired, and so has Piper. Their bloodlust for marauding squirrels turned into curiosity and tolerance. It was pathetic and sad to see them merely sit and watch the squirrels wander past them and onto the peanut feeders. At that point it was up to me, and I traded my leisurely mornings for several of vigilance and Squirrel Terrorizing.
Lately, I've had trouble finding raw shelled peanuts at my grocery store. Whenever I did find them, I'd always buy a couple of bags. I was down to my last bag, and the store had been out for a while. I went to a different town, but still no peanuts. Earlier this week, I ran out completely. Panic set in. Still, there was one option. I got in my car and took a short drive.
As God is my witness, my blue jays will never go hungry again! That's 25 pounds of raw shelled peanuts right there. Those peanuts now live in a big tub in my basement and I couldn't be happier.
I know; it doesn't take much, right?
Sometimes, it's the Simple Things (That You Make Worky) in life that are the best.
