Feeding the birdies

The birdies won't go hungry in our neighborhood this winter.

We feed Buddy outside because, believe it or not, he is too distracted
inside to eat. Either he wants to leap joyfully all over us exclaiming
'oh boy oh boy good morning good morning happy happy happy' or he wants
to chase the cats around the house.

It's been so cold, Buddy doesn't like to stay outside very long. He
doesn't always finish what's in his bowl. That makes for cat'n'bird
heaven!

We have these sliding glass doors in our family room. When the vertical
blinds are pulled back, the cats like to sit in the warm sunny spot.
They also love to watch the birds.

The birds love dog food.

I can just hear the scout calling to the others 'mushy yummy stuff on
at six o'clock!'

They land all over the patio, at least two or three dozen! They all
want a bit of the puppy food to carry off to their nests.

The cats love the birds. This morning I heard Amber: 'oh you yummy
yummy birdie, hop hop hoppy hop right this way!' When I looked over I
saw her all set to spring at the unsuspecting birdies. Her tail was
switching back and forth like a scythe.

Mouse does not like to be outdone by anyone. She leaped right on top of
Amber: 'Hey, get out of here! This is MY spot!.' Poor timid Amber, ever
the scaredy cat, leaps out the way. She looks like she's going to have
heart failure.

The birdies all sing out: 'Hey what was that? What was that?' but they
don't leave because they are hungry and the puppy food is
irresistible.

Now Mouse tries to seduce them. 'Hear my sweet kitty-song, pretty
little birdies. I would never do anything bad to you (no, I just want
to EAT YOU UP my dears!) so won't you walk this way, talk this way,
walk this way ...' Now, her tail is whipping back and forth with a gale
force wind.

Buddy hears the chatter and comes over to investigate. The birds sense
something approaching as he stands right above Mouse, sort of like King
Kong I guess. 'Warning, Warning, danger, danger, Will Robinson!' And
the birds take off. But not for long...

Mouse cranes her head up, calling to the birds: 'Wait, come back! Come
back! This big galumph is too stupid to catch you!'

So the birds come back. Mouse realizes that she doesn't have much time.
'Okay, that's it, now, just stay where you are!' She springs ... did
she forget she was at a glass door? THUD!

Buddy looks at Mouse incredulously and barks 'Look who's calling who
stupid!'

The birds take off as a panicked one and disappearing into the
sun.

Mouse jabs her paw at Buddy. 'Hey I meant to do that!' She holds her
head high, points her tail straight up, and stalks away.