I've battled probably the same heron for about 3 years. He comes in during winter through early spring. Always in the AM. I tried the fishing line, watched him circle and circle, army crawl through it and finally he flew up and crashed down in the middle of the pond in the deep water, like a duck. a big duck. They are persistent nasty things. I named mine Smaug, after the Hobbit dragon. This winter I went with a green house plastic over the main pond area, to keep him out and to keep the sub tropical fish alive. it worked. The day after I removed the plastic this spring, he showed up. The effective deterrents for me have been: 1. Me. Any movement in the house, the drapes open, I get up off the sofa, he sees me through the window and he's gone. Every time. The pond is about 50 feet back from the house. If i want to watch him, i HAVE to sit perfectly still inside the house; they have amazing eyesight. 2. Truck netting. I buy truck bungee netting on Amazon and stretch them out over the main pond. It works pretty well and is a compromise from full fish netting, this way I can let the birds and the frogs in and out, the big birds have a harder time. This year I got the alligator head. It looks really good, moving with the current, like the real thing. Not sure it'll work for long but anything helps. I also put out a cheap radio on batteries, talk radio. I am also this year going to capitalize on movement. Since he always leaves when he sees anyone moving in the house, I bought a wemo device. I can power on or off, either from my smart phone or on a schedule, any electronic device. I hooked up a circulating fan to it, aiming it at my drapes. From the outside, it appears to be someone moving the drapes. Someone suggested going with one of those tube dancing things, the kind you see for advertising. I think it would work for a while. What I really want is a halloween witch i see on Amazon, its a motion or powered activated full standing prop. Its crouched down, and when activated stands to full height, makes noise, etc. that is something I could use on the back porch or in various places in the house where it would be seen. I also have a Foscam camera, with audio. I've yet to catch the heron on the motion sensor, but having the ability to tie in anytime, anywhere is very powerful. I would not go without having an IP based camera to monitor, even if its just a passive device, knowledge is everything.

No ice here, thankfully, but Saucy's area keeps coming up on the news as being "worst hit." 1 million people are without power in MA and NH and having been through those areas a lot, the prediction that power will be back on by mid-next week seems optimistic. Yesterday crews from the service side of my work were gathering donations to bring with them: those in-pocket handwarmers, warm socks, plastic bags to use as raingear, candles, hot cocoa and instant coffee mix, little gas grills, anything that might help them and and residents be a bit more comfortable. I'm sure Rich will be getting in touch with some organization to see if he can help in some way -- it's just too close to us to not do anything when we were untouched. Kyle has decided he wants "my people" for his graduation, so I'm digging out old phone numbers and making the pot luck dinner list. This should be quite fun, and today he, Rich and I will collectively decide if his paternal family will be here or if we will have them do their own thing. Two extraordinarily different approaches to celebration mean that "separate" is sometimes the more comfortable way to go. We'll see. Thank You Cindy (I think it was Cindy) who suggested fondue. You have just resolved my "what do I do for breakfast" question since it seems that that's the one Holiday mean for which I'll be responsible. Thinking of using thick French Toast and warm syrup, fruit with lightened chocolate and/or vanilla based dipping sauce...the possibilities are endless. One less thing to think about! LOL, Sue, about the old boyfriend. I'd be nosy too but also be careful, please!!!! It amazed and continues to amaze me how brazen men can be toward recently single women, like we couldn't possibly get along without a "dangler" by our side or at least on call. From experience, don't register on Classmates or any other from-the-past networking site, the loonies will be at your door in a heartbeat. Thanks for the cow tail link, Cynthia, and my god dogs thank you too :-) Did Hope arrive as trained as she is? Re the Topiarys: I still plan to post mine on Dec 20 in anticipation of the Solstice, and hope lots of others join in, semi-leafless or structured plants or not. Just sounds like fun. This weekend will be comprised of a "putz list" of cool stuff I've wanted to do (those Salvias really need to get out of the garage and downstairs) and just kicking back. Wind chills will be in the single digits but heck, why do I have a bathtub with warm water if not to indulge after freezing my keester off to save some random terra cotta?? LOL Waving to all, and really hope that friends to the immediate north are staying warm. Martie

Bird baths help birds stop pecking tomatoes just for water, but even with a water source handy, mocking birds actually eat my tomatoes until sometimes I'm left with just an empty tomato skin hanging on the vine with all the insides eaten out. Here's my solution for birds pecking tomatoes: I use a homemade rabbit trap to trap the tomato eating birds and release them elsewhere. The trap is better than shooting birds because you only trap the birds that actually peck your tomatoes and don't remove innocent birds. My trap is a typical homemade, wire cage rabbit trap with a sliding door on one end connected to a trip stick in the center of the trap. When the rabbit enters the trap, he hits the stick and releases the door and traps himself. To catch birds instead of rabbits, I tie a piece of red tomato to the lower end of the trip stick. When the bird comes in and pulls on the tomato piece to eat it, he trips the stick and you have a trapped bird which you can release elsewhere. Trapping birds works best early in the growing season when your very first tomatoes begin turning red. Basically, if the only red tomato in your garden is the one inside the trap, then the birds will greedily go for it. I immediately caught four mockingbirds the first time I used my rabbit trap technique and released them several miles away. After that, I only had maybe three or four tomatoes pecked the entire summer (verses about a three ruined tomatoes per day the year before). The trap also works for rabbits. A half ear of corn is good bait, but don't lay the bait on the floor of the trap or you'll catch lots of ants. Hang (suspend) the bait from the roof of the trap to keep ants off it. You might even discover that neighborhood cats love corn also. Thanks all, CharlieCom

Wow, lucky you. If the crows are bothering you a lot, you can just shoot them. But if you are a animal lover you can make a separate nest on a distant place and feed them. Crows are very intelligent and if you feed they become loyal guests coming on a daily basis, try to divert them to a newer better place or make a nest for crow.