Where the is a will, there is a way!

Squirrel-proof bird feeders ...HA!.. there is no such thing! At least not for the squirrels that live here. I have been fussing about the squirrels eating all of the birdseed and not leaving a bit for my poor hungry avian friends. Ezzy, the dog, has been confined to inside the house since she has developed a nasty rash on her tummy and is not feeling up to par. Her medicines make her drowsy and a bit clumsy so I thought she should just stay inside to recuperate. Her squirrel chasing has been temporarily sidelined. My husband brought home a beautiful feeder that was supposed to be designed to keep the squirrels from stealing the feed. The weight of the squirrel would cause a cage to slide down covering the feeding slots. This worked for the first few days and I was thrilled! How nice to look outside while painting the windows..(I finally finished that job today!)..and see birds..not squirrels..on the feeders. I was elated! Then this morning..horrors! There were squirrels everywhere! On the ground, on the poles and on the feeder! On my squirrel-proof feeder..Oh, NO!! NO!! At first, I was a bit upset..then I started to see the humor in this whole scenario! Here I thought I was outwitting the little varmints and they outwitted me! I had made the mistake of hanging the feeder on a piece of driftwood that my son put up as a post for me. This gave the squirrels the perfect perch to reach the feeder. Up one would climb and after peering at our front door for a few minutes to make sure the big, bad squirrel chaser was not there, he would make his move. While holding on with his back feet, he would literally be suspended from the tree limb and cling to the feeder with his front feet. No weight on the feeder meant the feeding slots stayed open and he could eat! This is one smart squirrel! But..I am not sure that the others were not smarter! On the ground beneath the feeder, were several others. They were snatching up all the seeds that their more adventurous brother would drop from the feeder. I could not help but sit and watch their antics for a while before allowing Ez the joy of bursting through the door to clear the yard. Not that she ever catches one but she does enjoy chasing them. Now, Ms Ezzy is not the brightest crayon in the box either. She will get so excited when she sees a squirrel that she nearly breaks down the door to get at it. Not bad..but when you consider that she barrels out of the door and runs to the same tree each time..then you can understand what I am saying. The squirrels used to run to this hickory tree each time but now they scatter..running in all directions. Ez runs to the hickory tree and sits..staring up at the branches all the while wondering where the squirrel went. The little rascals sneak back to the feeder and munch away. Ez will sit for hours staring at the tree..the squirrels get their fill and my feeders are depleted. I will be glad when the rash heals and the dog can stay out during the day. At least with her sleeping under the feeder, the squirrels will stay in their feeding tray and off the birds' feeder!