Beth, I am lying here in bed on this lovely sunny morning wishing I could be outside, and "miserable as all get out!" with a horrid cold. What a joy it is to see this thread and smile as I look through your photos. :) I live in a semi-rural area, and the folks on the next block over have 55 of these critters that roam these quiet streets. I really enjoy watching them walk by. :D When folks who haven't seen them before are amazed and remark on the TURKEYS, I always say . . . . "Perhaps they are lookin' for you." Or ask them, "Friends of yours?" hehe Thanks for brightening an otherwise miserable day!! Debbie

Ken, Very funny! So many of these things have happened to us that it is like you have written our biography! Not only did Fido smash a G.E.,he left us a major deposit right in the middle of our driveway! I guess the visitors just figured the "heap" would break down overnight and just vanish. We were having a cookout for fathers day and these folks took down the chain and sign that says Hosta visits by appointment only ,please. at the gate , Asked if we minded if they just walked around while we ate. It wasn't 15 minutes later that they all had the call of nature and had to use the restroom. They all had those 44 ounce "Glug Jugs" as you described. As we all know it is difficult to enjoy a meal with your family when there are 5 complete strangers walking all over your property so Even though it was my day, I kept getting up to answer questions and keep them from wandering into the woods where the Poison Ivy thrives and the Hornets are angry. After about an hour and a half they meandered back to their van .They casually thanked me and told me that they were amazed by all of the Hostas but were really looking for a tree that day and the nursery that grows trees down the road was closed. I quietly wondered how the closed nursery had kept them out? Perhaps land mines or an 8 foot electrical fence? Thanks for the laugh and letting me know that there are others that feel my pain. Denny Denny

LUNA, Thanks for you kind comments.. my sister was someone very special to me.. I lost my mother when I was just 16 so she was my older sis and always there for me, even after she married and moved away to Ga. when her husband was in the navy,, but then they moved back home and we were the best of friends thur having babies and all.. she was the greatest.. I am the only one left of my family.. so it is important to have something to remember her by.. the angel is for her.. the puppy for my sweet little grandson who only lived 18 days.. and the big guy on the right is for all the rest of my family sorta looking over the other ones.. he has his suitcase and ready to travel when needed.. Lol I am getting ready to make another crystal birdbath only this time I want to make it a birdfeeder and add a fancy type of crystal ball and add some white Xmas lights inside so it can lite at night.. that is why I am not going to make it a birdbath.. do not think the birds would like to get shocked.. I have two ball types I want to try.. I will show you guys before I make it permant.. and you and tell me which one.. I may not glue the ball down so I can change it around if I want.. I have the base of the birdfeeder done .. I will take pics and show you guys later..

Thanks everyone. It's so nice to have people to share my birding events with. Sue, I'm happy you're getting to enjoy the cardinals, too. They also relish the black oil sunflower seed, but then, so do the grackles. I'm fortunate in that I have very few grackles; right now I have 2-4 of them hanging around but I don't see them often. There are more here for a week or so during the spring and fall migrations. I take the BOSS and suet feeders down at those time. Lynn D, after Ms. Cardinal left, I called my Auntie in Arkansas to tell her about the sighting. As we were talking on the phone I could hear her cardinals singing the "purty purty purty" song. HappyTime CA...once "my" cardinals are established (I might as well dream big!) you'll just have to take a road trip and come out to visit them. Stick around Jaime LA. "We'll" get you hooked! If you could come out and watch just one nest check with the tiny Purple Martin hatchlings, you'd be a goner for sure! LOL NodakGal...You're welcome to come for "tea!" It's Lipton's finest, but I guess you can tell I did get wild and added some fresh lemon zest! Peg MN...When I was a child there was a large holly shrub next to my north-facing bedroom window. One year a cardinal pair made thier nest there. It was in the perfect place for me to be able to watch them from just a few inches away. They didn't seem to mind me peering through the window's sheer curtains.