On Their Way

 

We put up four hummingbird feeders last week. After watching them at the in-laws, we decided to hang ours up for the little critters. It's been interesting.

We had one that decided one of the feeders was hers. She wouldn't venture far, perch on the top, and chase off any that decided to stop. She did this for days, and finally left. Her perching was only interrupted by feeding, and leaving for the night. 

Another one was on the chubby side. The small feeder on the porch was her favorite. Between sitting on the fence, or on the hanger bracket, she did little except feed. She left, and I'm assuming she was an older bird, knew about the trip south, and getting ready. 

The birds come and go all day long. At times, none are to be found. At others, there are dozens flitting around for a chance to feed at the full feeders. All, from what I've seen, are ruby-throated hummingbirds, and of all ages. Whether they're mostly the same birds all day is hard to tell. Some, seem to be in known groups that will chases away a straggler. Others seem to like to feed alone and chase away any coming to the feeder they're on. 

I've heard two sides of when to remove the feeders. One advice is to remove them in October to allow them to leave the area. Another is to leave it up until the really cold days. This allows the stragglers a meal, or the old to survive until Winter finally ends their days. 

All, in all, they're fun to watch. Their loud buzzing is pleasant to hear while enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning. It adds to the peaceful experience, and clears my mind from anything but watching their antics. 

Some Thoughts

 The U.S. has more jobs than workers, those that want to work are having dealing with jab mandates, government officials are demanding unreasonable restrictions, and hundreds of thousands of illegals are flooding across the border. To exacerbate these conditions, these same illegals are free from any Covid mandates.  What does logic dictate about this? My logic says there's a strong effort to change the U.S. to less educated workers that will be more easily controlled and willing to accept servitude for supposed safety. A less polite society would be hanging traitors daily.

Late One Evening.

I hadn't reached 20 years of age, was working offshore, and could help my brother get to work at the shipyard on my days off. My schedule was in the day mode, and in a few days, I would switch back to nights on the offshore platform His car was in the shop, and would soon be out. He was working the three to eleven shift, which was better in the cold months. In the summer, the heat became oppressive at 3:00 pm and was only bearable at 11:00 pm. His work as a welder was to fill in his college schedule, which he never finished, but his later successful career in electronics pretty well showed it was wasted money. It's strange how thing never turned out as planned.

It was cold. Not the cold of up North, but the cold we get. The temperature was in the low forties, and the damp chill was almost overbearing. My '63 pickup was modified, since I had to retrofit a radiator to fit the frame. The added cooling, and lack of thermostat, pretty well insured any heat was minimal. 

I parked in the parking lot, sat, and waited for the shift whistle to blow. Out in the shipyard the push was to complete the drilling rigs scheduled for drilling in the near future. Huge sections were visible. The quiet was broken by the loud crackling of arc-gougers and the banging of ship fitting. 

Soon, the whistle blew, and the workers started to come through the gate. Over time, my brother appeared, found my truck, and I asked if he felt like driving. I was tired, and would rather be a passenger, so I could nap. 

I sat,  watched my brother shift through the three-on-the-column gears, felt satisfied, and leaned back in the seat. I knew I could catch a short nap on the thirty minute trip home, but was soon faced with a predicament. 

It was cold. The hole in the floorboard on the passenger side was allowing a huge amount of air to blow through the floorboard. What little heat from the heater wasn't nearly sufficient to break the chill, and I was soon shivering. 

I realized the driver side was a much better place to be, how uncomfortable the passenger side was, and was regretting my decision to let my brother drive. I soon had a "fix".

There was a small piece of cardboard from a brake shoe package on the floorboard, which I placed over the hole, and place my foot on to keep it from being displaced. It helped, but it was still cold. The heater was nearly useless, and my ignorance didn't allow me the sure fix of placing a new thermostat. I endured, although it was far from comfortable.

We got him home, I switched to the driver seat, and was soon home. A hot bath broke the chill, and I was rewarded with a good night's sleep. 

Time reveals many memories, and sitting on the porch brought back a cold evening over forty years ago. I guess that's our destiny. We shuttle the current moments away, when the rich memories of the past appear. 

All In

 Bluffing, and going all in, is risky, but the reward is great...unless you're called, and your hand is a low pair. That's where the seditionists are at this point. They think their bluff is working, since it worked in the past. Unfortunately, the past is only a reference, and reality is they've pissed off the majority of those unwilling to trade their liberty for supposed safety. To make their predicament worse, all their efforts to remove self-defense from citizens failed, and if they weren't so desperate, they'd know the upsurge in self-defense sales are not only to prevent a petty crime.

Too much of the media is complicit in the sedition, but considering those that are involved, the years of corrupt colleges created their irrational perspective. They think they're doing the right thing, while never considering a tyrannical government doesn't need many of their kind; and if they become unruly, they'll be the first to be removed. After all, they can't produce anything but truth, or propaganda. Neither is important to those willing to sacrifice millions for their power. 

People are pushing back. It's starting by refusing illegal mandates, and relocation. How it ends is yet be seen, but the signs of the government beginning to crack are appearing. Some things that aren't being hid any longer:

- Russia Gate was a setup, and rogue government officials were involved.

- Voting is not sacred, and the fraud is not only apparent, those involved are open with their crimes.

- The judicial system is in terrible disarray, and the solution is harsher penalties for criminals. 

- Immigration needs to be stopped until it can be placed under control. 

- The Covid scare was an effort to subjugate, and destroy the U.S. economy. To make things worse, the supposed vaccination is not only killing people, millions will be dependent on injections sold by manufacturers that have no liability.

- The military higher brass is filled with traitors. 

- The President is not only unable to lead, he's a puppet, and terribly demented. 

There's more, but it doesn't take much effort to find the things too much of the media is trying to hide. People are pushing back, and those who are called "common folks" are realizing they have the winning hand. The bluff will probably not work, and if those in charge are wise, they'll start doing what's right.

Watching the Start of Fall

Over that last few weeks, early morning revealed Orion higher in the sky. It started as right above the horizon, to where it is now: about 40 degrees above the horizon. Sirius, which was only visible right at sunrise, is now high above the horizon. Regardless of how hot it's been, Fall is arriving. 

The hummingbirds are thick. The feeders stay full, and the constant buzz of those waiting to feed fills the air. The sultry uncomfortable evenings are almost gone, and sitting on the porch allows the wafting of cooler air that drifts from the surrounding woods. While most of the trees haven't turned, it won't be long until the leaves accumulate, and will be found swirling in the darkened shadows of late evening. 

The weather wizards are forecasting what we call  the "first real front" on Wednesday. There's not a high forecast of rain, but the mid-fifties at the end of the week may demand turning on the heater for a few minutes too break the morning chill. 

This is my favorite time of year. While those that may soon deal with the ravages of Winter have a different opinion, to me, it's the first relief from our brutal Summer. The hot, humid 80 degree sunrises are replaced by temperatures below what the air conditioner can provide, and evenings will yield a chilled breeze full of the aroma of burning leaves. 

The bacon is ready, coffee is brewed, and the porch is calling me to greet the sunrise. I'll sit until the early light chases away the deep shadows.