I have an office with two windows. Under the windows there are two lateral files, and siting on the file cabinets is a Wheelwriter typewriter. Edward Scissorhands, my old cat, has taken to sleeping on the typewriter. It’s covered with a quilted cover, and sits in a sunny spot in the morning. I can kinda understand his choice.
This spring, we have had a rufous sided towhee visiting at the window. This little bird thinks he can see his competition in the window, so there’s lots of posturing, and pecking at the glass, and flying up parallel to the window pane.
When the cat discovers the bird is there, he goes into instant hunting mode. I’ve been worried that he’s going to hurt his nose on the screen, and yesterday I had to move a geranium that has been grown in that window, lest he break off the branches.
My brother has a cardinal that is in love with his own image in the right rear-view mirror of one of his trucks. I’ve heard of other birds who couldn’t be persuaded that it was just a reflection.
If this little bird isn’t careful, Ed will find him one day, and that will be the end of the posturing.
Daily Archives: May 23, 2009
Ticked!
I’m very ticked! I have been listening to WGN radio all my life. It’s a monster station out of Chicago that blows away all the competition with it’s wattage, and it has ridden on the top of the ratings for most of that time. My favorite announcer was, and always will be Bob Collins. Unfortunately, we lost him in a light plane crash, and I suspect the the WGN ratings have been in a tail spin ever since.
I was really ticked when they canceled the Farm Show at noon, a number of years ago. I wrote a letter of protest at the time and got a canned response about the fact that they needed to address the new ratings system, and they had to provide programming that pleased those who live in Chicago and the collar counties around the city. Unfortunately, WGN has SO MUCH power that it reaches all the farmland in surrounding states, not just counties, and basically they felt all those people could go hang. I got what little I knew about the farm market from WGN, so I was set adrift, too.
Then, the trend was toward men who had stand up comedy background. I adjusted to Steve Cochran, but I thought it was the last straw when Gary Meyer (Mayer, Meier…..however you spell his name) was hired for the 1:00 slot. I figured I could listen to books on tape or CDs while I worked in the office,
Well…I was wrong about it being the last straw. That came yesterday morning when “The Girls” announced that the radio station was changing their programming, and that I was listening to their last show. I am so ticked! “The Girls,” or Kathy and Judy (Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey) have been sharing the microphone at the 9:00 a.m. hour for twenty years. They are of an age where they may have wanted to consider retiring, but the station took that option away from them. What’s worse, the station doesn’t have anyone hired for that spot. There was NO warning it was going to happen, and when I went to the Website to comment, I discovered it has been totally revamped. There was a ‘kiss off’ note saying that The Girls last show was yesterday. They gave an address for the station e-mail, and when I got the last “Girlfriend Gram.” I found addresses for both the women.
It takes a fair amount to get me to write a letter of complaint, but this succeeded. I understand demographics. I understand that what stations charge for their ad time is based on ratings, but rather than buck the system, WGN has let itself be cowed and now will sound just like all the other stations in town. It used to be a really big deal to be invited to work for WGN. I doubt it will be such a big deal in the future.
I expect to listen to the local classical music station a lot more now. I might tune in to the college jazz station. CDs, and cassette tapes of books will fill my day. I’m so sorry to loose a lifelong friend this way, but I think it’s time we went our separate ways.
Goodbye WGN Radio, and best of luck, Kathy and Judy!
Green Grows My Garden…
And purple and lavender and pink and yellow and gold….
I was working in my veggie garden this morning. I planted two well established tomato plants, one a Celebrity, and the other is a cherry tomato. I planted four tiny yellow pear tomato plants, and two Better Boys. I have one more cherry tomato plant to put into that bed. I’ve got cages around all but the Better Boys so far. I planted four bush-style pickle cucumbers. Does anyone know if they need to be caged for support?
I watered everything I planted and all the plants waiting to be planted, and the containers that I wintered over. I even watered the plants I put in two weeks ago under the window at the front of the house. The only thing I missed was the parsley plants the rabbits have been enjoying.
I had a chance to see all the weeding that STILL needs to be done, so that I can plant the annuals in the front gardens. I need DH’s help in the herb garden to move one timber into place, and then I can finish planting in the herb garden. I have tomato plants left over, and I’m giving some thought to growing them in containers. I HATE to throw things away, but it might be the better choice,given that the chipmunks have a colony and have invited ALL their relatives for the summer along the front sidewalk. They’ll probably burrow into the pots and kill off the plants.
I thought we’d have a pretty poor iris display this year, but it’s coming along nicely. I was in the midst of dividing my absolute favorite iris when Mother had a seizure. I found homes for most of them with friends and family, but I think mine were out of the ground too long. I’ll have to see how they do. Right now I have one iris that is yellow, another than is a delicate pink, one very ruffled one that is white with a raspberry edge on the petals. I think several dark ones will open later in the season.
I have an azalea, a hydrangea, two buddleias, a Russian sage, and a miniature lilac to plant, and I think the rhubarb that wintered over is going to become part of an ornamental garden! I also need to pick up potting soil and refill the containers for the sidewalk, so I can get them planted.
MY peonies are astonishing. I didn’t protect them with compost last fall, and I haven’t fed them, but the temperatures and the rain must have been just right because they have more buds than I can ever remember seeing!
So, with the exception of a bad knee holding me back from weeding, I’d say we’re moving right along with the gardens. I hope you’re having the same good luck!