The War Horse

My wife and I recently put a new bird feeder in our backyard. We can have morning coffee on the back porch and watch as all of the bird species of this area feed including hummingbirds which love the sugary syrup that my wife makes for them. When I bought the stand and feeder, the nice lady who owns the specialty bird store predicted that I would be back to buy a squirrel "baffle" designed to keep those pesky varmints out. Sure enough, after several days of coming home to a near empty feeder, I figured we either had a flock of birds that could star in the old Hitchcock movie or that furry friends were at work. After a chance observation of one of them eating away, off to the bird shop I went.

I observed that there were several types of baffles. One looked like a disc that you see on cables that tie ships to the dock. Those are to keep rats from going on board. I asked the owner which one she recommended, and settled on the one pictured above. She said that the long, smooth cylinder with no good point for gripping had proved very effective in thwarting Rocky and his buddies.

Today, I observed a squirrel who had been eating seeds the birds had dropped on the ground take a long, hard look at the feeder above. He climbed up the pole inside the cylinder and realized that he couldn't get through. He jumped up on the top of our fence and sat staring at the feeder for over fifteen minutes, seemingly totally focused on the problem at hand. So far, I have seen no squirrel successful at getting past the obstacle in the way.

All of this reminded me of how we all encounter baffling obstacles that sometimes keep us from achieving a goal. Like the squirrel, we make unsuccessful attempts at solving problems, and then go back to quiet contemplation to figure out new possible solutions. As evidenced by the fact that manufacturers have made some baffles more effective than others, the squirrels must eventually figure out how to "solve the problem". I find myself almost(but not quite!) rooting for some newcomer squirrel to figure out the formidable challenge of the current baffle.

It would be so easy to surrender to life's "baffles", when perserverance and determination become painful and discouragement comes easy. Just remember that what we see as major "baffles" in America would be laughed at by those in countries where slavery and genocide still exist and human rights are denied by ruthless leaders. Keep looking for a way to reach your goal---- never give up!

Hey---- wait a minute!- What's that furry ball with the twitching tail doing hanging from my feeder?

" Perserverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
--- Walter Elliot

See you later.

Tim

I shot this picture on a visit to the small North Carolina coastal town of Beaufort. It was July 4, and numerous boats were docked at the waterfront in anticipation of seeing the Tall Ships visiting the area. The image gave me pause well beyond thoughts of just "cute". I speculated that the young boy, unfettered by adult fears and biases, was experiencing the unmitigated joy of fishing on a beautiful morning truly filled with "Amazing Grace". One can only hope that progress can be made in America toward a vision where we can all work toward achieving the full potential we have as the greatest country on Earth. The shrill racket of competing political factions pushing their own agendas selfishly forward without regard for concensus building has become the order of the day in America. Somehow we must all make progress toward reclaiming the spirit of teamwork that in the past has allowed people with widely varying opinions to agree on courses of action to solve problems.

One small thing that I plan to do is to demand that those prevailing on my time to espouse their ideas be required to put forth their own action plans for solving problems before they may criticize others. Of course this would eliminate listening to some rather well known characters such as James Carville or Rush Limbaugh, but I won't miss them. Let's eliminate the lucrative fertile ground such people now have where they can ridicule others and get paid for it. Decide on an issue based on careful study rather than on who shouts the loudest.

Here's to the hope for an even better America. Little boy--- dare to be great, educate yourself, appreciate the country you live in, respect your parents and others, and experience Amazing Grace!

" In this century freedom has received more tributes than ever before. There has been public debate on every sort of freedom, economic, political, religious. Yet there has not been a corresponding increase in independence of mind."
___ E.J. Oliver

See you later.

Tim