Archives for March 2016

What do black oil sunflower seeds and a bag of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao chocolate chips have in common?  They are both small, dark, and yummy (to the respective species).  Now, I might be stretching it to call chocolate ‘food’, especially in the sustenance sense, but nonetheless, it has been a part of my February and January…and December.  Anybody else eat chocolate in a seemingly uncontrollable way when under stress?

What a strange month February has been here in central Minnesota–it hasn’t been about the snow or the extremely cold temperatures this year.  In fact, last Saturday was a record-breaking warm day with a high of 56 degrees!  Needless to say, most of the snow has melted.  But February has been all about that food for the hardy winter animals and birds who harmlessly flock to the feeders and who harmfully chow down on our trees and shrubs.  The winter birds are the most beautiful to see as they come daily to the feeders for sustenance, taking a seed or two at a time.

The most amusing visitors to the feeders are the squirrels who take their mealtimes very seriously!  This little red squirrel will sometimes eat at the feeder, but other times will fill his cheeks with seeds and high-tail it to his den in order to keep a stash nearby.

There is an abundance of gray squirrels, a few little red squirrels, and two black squirrels–one with a long tail, the other with a shortened ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ tail.  These two are feisty and protective of ‘their’ feeders.

Whereas the birds are prudent with the abundance of a full feeder of black oil sunflower seeds, this guy is a little piggy, scooping up paws full of seeds and chowing down!

Our more nocturnal critters clean up the fallen seeds from the ground after the sun goes down–rabbits and foxes.  Evidence of the rabbit’s activities can be seen in the light of day.

They also cause real damage to young trees and shrubs, as in the case of this young hemlock tree.

Rabbits or deer stripped the bark from some fallen branches.

While my horticulturist husband loves planting and growing new trees and shrubs, it is a necessity to protect them from the winter grazers.

As in most food chains in Nature, the tables get turned, and a rabbit becomes a meal for the scavenger crows.

February is all about that food for the birds and animals in this northern climate.  The mild temperatures and minimal snow have made it easier for the critters to find some kind of sustenance for survival this year, but they have still been hard on some of our unprotected plants.

Recovering from a death or grief of any kind can also make for strange months–times of sadness and despair, dreams that try to ‘organize’ the pain, and moments of lightness and laughter when the sun shines through the darkness.  Diving into my stash of chocolate may not be the prudent way to ameliorate the pain and confusion of grief, but it may just be a necessary way to protect that part of me that doesn’t want to accept what happened.  Until I do.  And then, once again, I can eat chocolate like a cardinal instead of like the Squirrel Nutkin squirrel.