Choose your battles well.

  It is good advice to choose your battles well.  Sometimes things that you think are easily won are the most difficult to obtain.  This became quite obvious early this afternoon.  I was in the living room crafting while Ms. Ez sat staring out the door.  There are still fleas in the yard so she has to be satisfied with quick runs to do her business. There will be no stalking squirrels for a while yet.  Just outside the doorway, I could hear the rap-tap-tapping of a woodpecker on the old Black Gum Tree.  A large Pileated Woodpecker was working on the very bottom of the tree.  This tree had died some time ago but since it houses a number of birds and flying squirrels, I have not pressed Mark to cut it.  It stands defiantly against the odds as it is filled with holes.  The woodpecker was having a grand old time hammering that thing.

  Suddenly, Ms. Ez started barking and I heard a great ruckus in the vicinity of the Black Gum Tree!  What was that woodpecker doing?  I leapt from my chair just in time to see Nycto, the (new) cat, shoot out of the jasmine vine.  Obviously, she had chosen to attack the woodpecker!  This was one of those times when it would have been prudent for her to choose her battles.  Anyone who has ever seen a Pileated Woodpecker can tell you that they are rather large!  The birds are extremely strong and, as with any woodpecker, have a long bill. Nycto should have never tackled this bird!

  The bird was not harmed in the least by Nycto's attack.  As matter of fact, after flying to a nearby oak tree, it fussed at her for about ten minutes.  It then went back to work on the Black Gum Tree.  I assume that there are some mighty tasty grubs in that rotten wood!  As for Nycto, I checked on her and she seemed to be well enough.  Other than some ruffled fur and a case of nerves, I think she fared pretty well.  Now if she learned her lesson, everything will be fine.  Nycto still has a lot to learn about being a Bayou Cat!