We, co- researchers Denny & Carol, were presented with a conundrum. Being ignorant of conundrums and therefore deathly afraid of one, we threw it in the trash. We are still looking for those that presented it. Be that as it may, we were still left with a problem.
Carol likes to attract birds into the yard and so she feeds them regularly. It is her that I see every morning in the back yard, in her white robe like some visage from a cheap ghost hunting show, filling bird feeders, placing Suet in certain places and generally making sure that the little creatures continue to thrive. The problem is that she also makes sure that our cats also thrive. Given that there seem to be some food chain thing going on here, it is impossible to let the cats out into the yard when there are so many birds. ( I have a picture of Carol screaming in horror at the sight of one of the cats with a little bird in its mouth)
I, being the resident genius (or so Carol tells me when my ego gets deflated) was thinking of the problem when it came to me. Being afraid of anything called “it” I promptly ran away. While hiding from “it” I thought about those plastic predator birds that can be bought a Wal-Mart. Because logic being a natural part of my genius, I figured that if we put a plastic owl (predator bird) out on the patio, when we go out, we will not have birds around and therefore we can let the cats roam the savanna we call the back yard. So began the great experiment.
Carol dutifully purchased the aforementioned plastic owl. This was promptly placed, in a prominent position on the concrete deck that constitutes the patio. There it was, the menace to all other birds (except for other predator birds). We sat having ice tea and beer (scientific experiments need sustenance) and observed the behavior of the bird population.
At first, they stayed away as expected, but after a period of 15 minuets (We like to dance) and the stupid plastic owl didn’t move, they (the birds) were on to the ruse. It was when the birds began to perch on the owl we concluded that the grand experiment was not a success.
Accordingly, the cats are still house bound and lusting after the birds through the windows and screens. The poor fuzzy dears are still pining for the Savannas Science will move on and Dang these sins
Denny
