Yard, Gardens, Birds and Critters

 It started a while ago when the raccoon tore down a feeder!  I didn't replace it for a very long time.  I eventually purchased the tubular kind. Bronze or Copper with a wire that circles so the birds can get but maybe a tad harder for the squirrels.  I filled it up with sunflower seed.  The first time I filled it, it lasted for about a week.  Birds aren't the best about going to new feeders.  I didn't see the squirrel on it, but it's farther down in the yard, so, don't see it as well. This morning I decided to fill up the platform feeder with the Wild Bird Seed Mix!  When I proceeded to the feeder, I notice the new one was missing!  Did I tell you about the other new one that went missing? I don't think I did! I looked and looked for it and couldn't find it. I weeded along the fence line even and not to be found.  I even asked my neighbor to be on the look out for it if he went down to the back of our properties.  The next Saturday my son and grandson came

 Started out at 8:20 a.m. heading to Stockton Lake, Stockton, MO. I wanted to see the Osprey nest that is on cam.  The chicks in the nest are now fledglings but they still hang on the nest waiting for mom or dad to bring in the fish.   I didn't realize just how large Stockton Lake was.  It's huge! How were we going to locate this Osprey nest.  First plan was to stop and ask the locals. They didn't even know what an Osprey was, let alone know where the nest was.  We even asked people at some of the camping sites. Nope, they were from out of town, like us, camping, swimming and fishing and boating. What's an Osprey? Finally found one person that suggested going over by the dam and checking there.  We went by the Senator Kit Bond Information Center, headed to the dam, crossed over, went to this kids fishing area. Met two lovely ladies there, one was local her friend was from Kansas City, who came to visit and fish.  Thought they had a perfect place but....nope, it was catc

 I was blaming the squirrels and I stand corrected on this one. I am 99.9% sure it was a raccoon and I will tell you why. Yesterday, I was checking a feeder I had put out for the squirrels. It's a Sweet Corn Log!  I put one log in the feeder and noticed in the morning the log was gone and so was the feeder. I went to check and the lid was still on the shepherds hook.  I had a basket of sunflower seed, a large cage that held the double suet holder to keep out squirrels and large birds, a small suet holder and the new feeder with the corn log. I believe I put all the feed out on Thursday.  Didn't think to look until Saturday to see if anything had been eating on the log. Much to my surprise, the corn log feeder was missing. Only the top remained hanging. I went down and found the feeder laying in the grass! I decided to go out to Tractor Supply and see if they had any of the corn logs.  They did so bought 2 packages, which equaled 4 logs.  I purchased a new feeder, thought it was